Two Sides Of a Coin
by AshleyLingWrites
Summary: Not all men are born equal. Deku is every being deserving of becoming a hero but he is denied that chance not by choice, but by fate. It is those without power that crave for it the most. To protect what he loves, Deku must exchange power for a path of no return and Bakugo must deal with the consequences of Deku’s disappearence. Villain Deku AU.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"Kacchan! Are you ok?" Izuku's voice calls out from behind. Bakugo blinks, sitting in the river as the water flows, leaving his trousers soaking wet. He struggles to stand, still unsure at what happened and how he fell into the river. "Kacchan!" The voice calls out, a head of messy green hair on a young boy which sprints towards him. His facial expression is concerned, and his eyebrows are furrowed as he stands in front of him, red sneakers drenched in the river. "Are you okay?" Izuku calls out, looking down at the blonde boy.

Bakugo doesn't react immediately, trying to forget the pain in his legs from the fall. He has been taught to endure pain and learn to be strong from his mother since a young age. He cannot show emotion, he cannot show weakness; not even when he is only five-years-old. "Ah." Bakugo says, staring up at the hand extended out to him. A hand so kind and selfless, a hand to help those in need, a hand of someone who deserves to be a _hero_. "Take my hand!" Izuku calls out, a bright smile on his face. Bakugo blinks, red pupils staring into the bright smile on his friend. Bakugo smiles, not hesitating to take the warm hand in front of him.

They were five years old that day. They were always together, always best friends, always aiming for the same things. In a world of superpowers, two five-year-old kids aimed to be a symbol of hope, a symbol of peace – a hero.

 _Unfortunately, not all men are born equal, not even in this world of superpowers._

God is unfair, the world is cruel. As even in a world of heroes and villains, inequality exists.

"Oi, get out my way, Deku!" Bakugo growls, stomping his sneakers towards the back of Izuku's black uniform. Izuku jumps, crawling on the ground at the fear and uncertainty as he looked at the blonde boy in front of him with crackling palms. They were ten years old now, both closer to realizing their dreams of heroes – unfortunately one of them had forgotten what a _hero_ really meant.

"That's mean, K-kacchan… Can't you see he's crying?" Deku whimpers, eyes almost tearing up as he stares at the boy from the floor. His other two friends are laughing at him – one with weird long hands and the other with bat-like wings. _Quirks_. A blessing – something he was born without. A physical trait that he was denied not by choice, but by birth. "Get out of my way!" Bakugo yells, palms cracking with an explosion, dust and soot appearing out of thin air. Five years ago, Bakugo and Izuku would often hang out together. Their days were filled with adventure missions in the forest, catching beetles in the summer, running around in fields, collecting _All Might_ cards and discussing who was their favorite hero. Now, Bakugo's eyes are no longer filled with hope and innocence but a hunger for power and dominance.

Izuku stands, panting and his breaths are heavy. He stands his ground, red sneakers dug firm into the ground as Izuku stares at Bakugo; Izuku's eyes are filled with tears, pity and hurt. The boy with the red hair behind Izuku whimpers, staring at Izuku's small back. A back that was too small, too unfit, too thin to have belonged to a hero; but the boy will always remember that back – the back of a hero who fights for those in need. Bakugo scowls, sending an explosion with his right hand. "Why are you always in my way, Deku!" He yells, anger in his voice. Izuku flinches, fear in his system at the sight of Bakugo's powerful quirk. Still, he does not move from his spot.

It's ironic that best friends could have turned out to be like this. Bakugo was Izuku's best friend once, and soon after when Bakugo's quirk manifested – everything changed. Bakugo was filled to the brim from compliments around him for his quirk. Humans are vulnerable creatures. They seek for acceptance when they are insecure. Bakugo was only a five-year-old child when he was told that he was amazing. A genius, a natural born talent – that sort of pride builds one up to the tallest tower to never fall back again. Like how a popular kid doesn't want to hang out with a loser, a genius would not want to hang out with a _quirkless_ person.

Izuku did not blame Bakugo for betraying their fragile five-year-old friendship. Izuku had always wished for the best for his best friend. He was strong and powerful and had a bright future ahead of him after all. Still, Bakugo only attracted the wrong crowd as a child and that left him to a point of no return.

"H-heroes shouldn't bully those without power, Kacchan!" Deku yelled, tears streaming down his face as he held his small and frail fists in the air. Bakugo made wrong friends, he had turned to a circle of friends who only wanted his popularity and power for themselves. They coerced Bakugo to bully others for money, power and fame. Like every other young child, anyone would have felt powerful, anyone would have felt that they were accepted, anyone would have wanted to be in a position of those two combined. Even when, those values were terribly far from their own.

"Are you trying to act like a hero, Deku?! You're just a quirkless child!" Bakugo yells, sprinting towards the green haired boy. Midoriya whimpers, screeching as he hits the hard ground with a loud thump. Bakugo fires his quirk, an explosion erupting as it hits flesh. Even at a young age, Bakugo is talented enough to know how to properly use his quirk to hurt others. In a family which he was the only child, a spoiled, talented and smart brat – he felt _powerful_. To be feared meant power, it meant dominance – something that stirred in him at his deepest core. Power meant strength, and strength meant to win, and to win would mean… he could win against all his opponents to become a _hero_.

As far-fetched as that seemed for a ten-year-old child, Bakugo craved for power. He craved to win, to be the symbol of hope he envisioned as a child. He was better than everyone else around him, he is smart, too perfect; yet those closest to perfection are those with deep-rooted insecurities hidden behind a mask. "I will always be better than you, Deku! Don't you dare act like you're a hero when I'm the one who will be better than All Might!" Bakugo yelled, pinning the boy further into the ground. It angered Bakugo, that when it came to being the best; Deku was always there to block his way. Nobody wants people from their past as a loser to be in their present. Nobody wants a constant reminder of their vulnerability or their weakness in the past.

And that reminder to Bakugo Katsuki, will always be _Deku_.

* * *

"Izuku, I was starting to get worried! Why are so late from school today?" Inko asked, a gentle voice in the hallway as she walked to the front door. The green haired woman gasped, immediately stumbling to the front door. "Izuku!" She yelled, tears already in her eyes. There stood Izuku with a smile, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. His knee was scrapped and the rest of his arms were covered in black and blue bruises.

"Hi…Mom." Izuku starts. The wounds are painful but he never forgets to smile when his mother is here. She had always sacrificed and cared for him all his life and Izuku would never want his mom to worry more than she already has. "Izuku, you're hurt! W-what happened?!" Inko asked, hurriedly dragging Izuku into the house. She hurriedly takes the sneakers and clothes off his son and assesses the injuries.

"I-I kind of fell off a really high slope!" Izuku nervously laughed. Inko blinks, still worried at the sight of her bruises. She doesn't respond, she doesn't reprimand her son for his actions – she knows her son all too well. She knows how easy it is for him to be a target when he was _quirkless_ after all. "Hurry up and take a bath. After I apply the medicine to your wounds…. I'll make you Katsudon." Inko smiles, wiping the tears away from her eyes.

Izuku smiles back, a ray of hope in his heart. Even if the world did not believe him, did not allow him to be a hero when he truly deserved it more than anyone else – there was still one person who he truly wanted to protect. Even though his mother could only apologize and weep for his inability to have a quirk; Izuku did not blame her. Izuku did not reprimand his own mother for the cruelness of the world.

* * *

"Izuku, I'm going to the Bank. Just play on the playground, I promise I'll be back soon, okay?" Inko calls out, releasing her palm from Izuku's warm hand when they reach the park. Izuku nods happily, dashing towards the swings as he watches his mother walk to the bank across the street. Izuku swings himself, enjoying the wind as it sends his body forward and then backward. It reminds him of the feeling of flying, or maybe what having a quirk would feel like. Still, he tries to relinquish the feeling of what it would be like to have a quirk…. Even when he was so cruelly denied one.

He's pulled out of his thoughts when he hears loud noises, a scream, and multiple shots from a distance. He lifts his head up to find the source of the voice to find multiple masked men inside the bank – the bank which his mom went in ten minutes ago. Izuku stills, frozen in fear as he watches those masked men raise their weapons.

A ten-year-old Izuku stares in disbelief as people scream at the scene of horror. He runs, not sure why his body moved on its own to the side of the building, unnoticed by the terrorists. His small body peers from the glass doors to look inside, at least twenty civilians inside are huddled together and a group of three masked men yells orders.

"Don't move! One move and this guy will slice all of you into pieces!" One masked man yells, pointing to the other masked man with swords for hands, his quirk. "You there, put all the money into this bag or else you'll be our first demonstration for how serious we can get with our quirks!" The other masked man yells, antennas pointing out of his head. In a world of superpowers, there is bound to be those who use their powers for good and those who use them for own selfish purposes. The girl, a worker at the bank quickly moves to unlock the safe deposit boxes and grabs the stack of cash to put inside the empty bag.

"Mom…" Izuku whispers, tears at the corner of his eyes. Even at ten years old, Izuku knows that these are villains and they will not hesitate to harm his mother. "Please don't hurt us! We'll do whatever you want!" Inko whimpers, tears in her eyes as she backs into a corner. The masked men laugh, enjoying the overwhelming feeling of dominance and superiority. The man with the antennas flinches, turning his head. "I can hear sirens. Passer-by most likely alerted the heroes already. We have ten minutes top." He says.

"Thank God." One of the civilians says, sighing in relief. The leader of the masked men, a large bulky dude with a red mohawk clicks his tongue and points his arm at the man who sighed in relief. His arm clicks, twist and turning from pale flesh into veins and bulked scales, slowly then reaching his entire body. He turns into a monster three times his original size, scaled and slimy all over.

"Don't you dare think heroes will save the day, you normies." The now red mohawk of his sitting on top of a too large head of a monster. "If we don't make it out safely with our money, I'll make sure none of you make it out either." He threatens with a wide smile. The civilians squirm in fear, sobbing in the corner. "Hurry up woman! The lives of the other normies depend on how you act." The man with the sword arms shouts to the worker who was frantically panicking to shove the stacks of cash into the bag.

Izuku squirms in fear, back sticking against the glass frame behind the building. He shakes in fear, not for himself but for his mother, his only family. "The heroes will be here soon…. Please…" Izuku whispers to himself, holding his hands together despite how shaky they were. "Heroes are faster than I expected. The sirens are getting closer. We have to make a move now!" The antenna quirk man says. The other two glare at the woman still filling the cash into the bag.

"We have more than enough. Let's go-" The sword quirk man says but is interrupted when woods protrude through the glass doors, glass shattering everywhere as in a flash – thick branches of wood curl around the three criminals. "What the hell-" The antenna quirk user says. Izuku stares in disbelief as woods encircle the criminals faster than a blink of an eye. "Don't move! You're arrested!" A man in a costumed yelled, his arms now thick branches of wood.

Izuku's eyes widened in disbelief, pro-hero Kamui Woods was standing right in front of him. For a moment, his admiration for the hero showed and he forgot about the crisis at hand. "Pro-hero?! What dumb luck we have!" The sword quirk user yells, scrambling to get out of the tight grip of the thick branches of wood. Still, it is no use. The civilian cheer in relief and Izuku smiles widely, a hero did come to save the day as he hoped.

"Attempting daylight robbery? Criminals these days sure are getting more stupid and easier to capture." Kamui says, his mask of wood covering his entire face. "Damn it! I'm not going to get captured here! Especially by a weak pro-hero!" Izuku's eyes widen when the red-mohawked criminal bursts into double his size again, this time his scales are like armor around his body – the wood branches of Kamui snap almost immediately from the activation of his quirk. "Shit-" Kamui yells, getting blown to one side of the wall without warning.

The large monstrous Villain laughs confidently as if the pro-hero before him was only a pebble in his way. "No…" Izuku whispers, trying desperately to hold the tears flowing down his cheeks back. Almost on cue, the second villain uses the sharp swords of his hands to slice through the wood binding him and sprints to cut down the wood holding down the third villain. "You're not getting away!" Kamui yells, woods immediately surrounding the entrance to make sure the villains do not have an escape route. The villains flinch without an escape route and the leader, the most powerful out of all three; sprints towards Kamui, a ball of scales rolling towards the pro-hero. Kamui blocks with multiple wooden branches focused in front of him and effectively blocks the incoming attack. Kamui releases his branches, letting them encircle the giant villain and his wooden branches overlap another like an enclosed prison. Amidst the confusion, the two weaker villains run from the scene leaving their leader alone to fight Kamui.

"Civilians get away from here immediately!" Kamui orders as he holds down the villain in front of him. Inko and the other five civilians nod nervously, running towards the other direction as Kamui holds the villains down but a sudden roar erupts and the monster breaks from the wooden prison and Kamui doesn't have enough time to react when the Villain attempts to grabs the nearest hostage – the female banker. "Shit!" Kamui yells, wooden branches rushing towards to the hostage, but his eyes only manage to blink when it is not his branches that reach first –

 _ **but a green haired boy with a face of determined rage**_ **.**

They say heroes are given that title because they are strong and powerful. However, there is one common trait among all heroes, a trait each hero must have to deserve that title –

 _It is that your body moves first before your mind_.

Izuku rushes forward, small red sneakers sprinting forward to the blonde haired woman on the ground as the villain approaches with a deadly laugh. Izuku sprints, the small body already in front of the woman when the attack ensures. Kamui doesn't register when his branches do not reach for the woman but he sees a flash of green as the villain captures the boy in his muscled hands.

"IZUKU!" Inko yells, devastation rings in her voice. The female banker stares in disbelief, her eyes wide and shaking when she realizes the young boy who saved her. "What the hell? A weakling like you just jumped in to save her?" The villain growls. Izuku cries, tears streaming down his freckled face when the villain's muscled, scaly hands envelop around his small body ensuring that he would not escape. The female banker immediately runs towards the exit but Inko stays, crumbling to the ground.

All of the other hostages have made it out safely and Kamui looks toward Inko. "You! Get out of here now!" Inko doesn't move from her spot and shakes her head. "Izuku!" Inko cries out. Kamui doesn't have time to drag Inko to safety and instead sprints towards the villain holding Izuku hostage in his arms. "Let the child go!" Kamui roars, multiple branches forms from his hands reaching towards the Villain but he smirks. The red mohawk of his droops in the air, a laugh erupting as he holds Izuku's neck with one arm.

"Are you sure about that, Pro-hero? This child will die if you come any closer!" The villain yells. Kamui flinches, stepping back to assess the situation. "Give my child back!" Inko yells, eyes filled with rage as she knelt on the floor. "Huh? This weakling is your child? Well isn't this a lucky day for you kid, you're going to be in the newspaper all over Japan…" Inko's pupils widen in despair. "For your heroic _sacrifice_." The villain snaps as he circles his thick fingers around Izuku's eyes.

Izuku squirms and kicks, tears dried from his eyes. "Let the child go, Villain!" Kamui orders, sweat rolling down his forehead. "Out of my way, pro-hero… unless you really want this child to die?" Kamui bites his lower lip and steps aside, allowing the villain to pass him as he clenches his fists tight. He needed a plan, a plan to save the child and capture the Villain together.

If he attacked with his quirk, there's no telling what the villain might do the child. If he doesn't, the same can't be said for the child either. Kamui, still young and barely experienced needed to assess the situation carefully before his actions meant no return. "Heh! You're a great trump card huh, brat? Today sure is my luck-" Inko grabs onto villain's large leg and glares at him with rage, not a bone of fear in her. "Let my child go!" She yells, shaky hands attached to the scale of the muscular leg.

"Huh?" The villain raises an eyebrow. "What are you doing!" Kamui yells. "Let my child go!" Inko yells again. Despite her usual timid and coward nature, Inko is a mother first and she will not let anyone harm her child. "M-mom…" Izuku calls out with teary eyes from his hoarse throat. "Izuku!" Inko yells. Kamui dashes forward, fingers now a twirling form of wood and branches as he dashed in front of Inko, blocking a strong incoming punch from the villain. "That's enough!" Kamui yells, engaging in an all-out attack as he fired fast and precise branches towards the villain's face.

"Argh!" The villain yells when one of the thick wooden branches send him flying towards a wall with abrupt force, loosening his grip on Izuku. Izuku falls amidst the fight, laying on the floor with tears in his eyes as Kamui dashes pass him to send another attack towards the villain. The villain growls in anger when he realizes Izuku is not in his hands anymore and activates his quirk again, this time his scales are tougher and larger. Kamui shoots woods towards him but his scales are bulletproof, defense and offense all in one.

"Kamui!" Another Pro-hero yells, dashing towards the scene. Backup had finally arrived and Kamui scowled at the villain. "You're time is up!" Kamui yells, the villain effectively blocking all of his attacks with his armor of scales. He clicks his tongue and scans the situation for a simple second. "Izuku!" Inko yells trying to dash towards Izuku on the ground, barely conscious. "You! It's all your fault!" The villain growls, aiming for Izuku and dashes towards him. Before the two pro-heroes can reach for Izuku, Inko stands her ground and blocks Izuku – allowing the villain to snatch Inko in his arms and run towards the exit.

"Shit! He has the hostage-" Kamui growls, tree branches shooting towards the villain but the villain is fast, already heading towards the exit. "He's going to get away!" Kamui yells and the pro-hero go after the villain, leaving a barely conscious Izuku on the ground. His eyes are tired and dry from crying but he doesn't close them, his hand reaches out to thin air, trembling.

"Mom…" He croaks out before he passes out.

* * *

They say those who were born without power are those who are desperate for power the most. Just like wars, it is leaders who are greedy and selfish and are deprived of power all their lives that stand on the battlefield willing to shed blood for that very power. Maybe that is why they eventually choose him – because he was _desperate_ for power.

"Kacchan!" Izuku calls out, green hair a mess and eye bags beneath his eyes. He had just come back from the hospital and despite the orders and reassurance from the fellow pro-heroes; there was no way Izuku could sit back and wait when his mother was kidnapped by villains. The blonde boy turns his head, red eyes narrowed down at the weak boy his age who was once his best friend.

"What do you want Deku? Looking for a fight again?" Bakugo growls, fists clenching as dust and soot erupted and he smirked. Deku flinched and squirmed but he stood his ground. "Please, I need your power. Please, K-kacchan-" Deku stumbled back when Bakugo fired an explosion from his hands towards Izuku. "The hell, Deku! I thought I gave you a pretty good lesson a few days ago and looks like you haven't learned anything." Bakugo yells, fists raised in confidence.

"K-Kacchan please. I need your help. You're strong! I trust you and your power!" Deku starts but Bakugo doesn't listen, sending another powerful explosion towards the boy. He is only ten-years-old after all, too young to listen, too young to truly comprehend the weight of his actions nor his words. "Shut up, Deku! You always act like you're a hero when you're just a quirkless being!" Bakugo yells.

Izuku stands frozen on the ground on all fours, his eyes widen in fear when he hears the words.

 _Quirkless_.

That's right, he was just a quirkless, powerless human. What can he do? What right did he have to ask Kacchan to lend him the strength to save his mother? What right did he have to ask for power when he was the one without it?

"Always acting like you're a hero. It makes me sick." Bakugo starts. "Listen up, Deku. Only those with power like mine deserve to be heroes. There is no such thing as a _weak_ hero like you!" Bakugo growls, another explosion erupts. He pins Izuku to the ground, a smirk on his face as Izuku's tears fell from his eyes – not from pain but for the sadness of the realization that he could not save his mother. "Why don't you just wish to be born with a quirk in your next life, Deku? Better yet, you could just jump off that bridge and make things quicker." Deku froze at his spot, lifeless eyes stared at the sky so dark and cold. Bakugo got up and turned his head, hands stuffed into his pockets and never looked back.

 _Powerless_.

Izuku was powerless. He truly wanted to be a hero but he was cruelly denied that chance by God without a reason. He clenched his fists and furrowed his eyebrows. What had he done wrong to deserve this?

 _Izuku, I'm so sorry_.

His mother once cried and cried while hugging him when he asked: "Could I become a hero like All Might too?". That was her response because even his mother could not sugarcoat the harsh truth of the world. Midoriya Izuku was in every right a good human being, selfless, kind, gentle and yet when he wanted to protect those in need, protect his mother… he could not because he was _quirkless_.

"It sucks being Quirkless, huh?"

The words shock Izuku when it manifests into a real voice. He looks up, confused and scared at the voice. He turns his head to see a boy his age, slightly older – dry and crippled lips and small, tightly lidded eyes on a face too pale beneath snow white hair. "I understand what you feel like right now." The boy says. Midoriya blinks and raises an eyebrow.

"It must feel hopeless right? To hope and wait for heroes to save the day but they never come." The boy starts. "I mean… heroes always win, right? They always save the day. Good always win." Izuku gulps. "But that's not the world we live in. We live in a world that Heroes abandon us when it's convenient. They don't save the day or protect those in need. They live for fame, money and power." He yells with ferocity in his tone as if he was speaking from experience.

"W-who are you…" Izuku asks, scared. "You want to protect those you care about right?" He asks. Izuku nods without hesitation. "If you want to protect them, you must have power. Without power, you cannot win." Izuku replies. "B-but…I don't have a quirk." Izuku replies almost devastatingly. The boy smiles, a hand outstretched to Izuku. "Do you wish to have a quirk?" He asks. Izuku does not hesitate to answer either.

"I want to protect my mom. I want to have enough power to protect her." Izuku says, determined to risk his life even as a ten-year-old. The boy smiles, "Then I know someone who can give it to you. I can give you a quirk." Izuku's eyes widen in disbelief. The words sounded like honey, too sweet to be real. But a child so desperate for power would not think twice when opportunities arise.

"A quirk?" He asks. The boy smiles. "In a world so cruel as ours, you must learn to fight for yourself. Fortunately, there is a God who can grant you the power you wish." Izuku doesn't hesitate to take the strange boy's hand. "I… I will do anything for power." Izuku says.

It is those who have been powerless all their lives who are desperate for power the most.

Tomura smiles, taking the boy's hand in his own.

* * *

Remember to leave a comment! It keeps me motivated!


	2. First Day at UA

**Chapter 1**

When spring arrives, it is a season of change. Everyone his age is in high spirits for the first day of school – a new start, a place of a new beginning for most. To many who were heading towards the large school building he was entering; it meant a step closer to every kid's dreams of becoming a hero. A _hero_ , how justice did that word hold. An occupation, a goal, a dream he too once held close to his heart with all his power. Five years ago, that dream was his only goal in life. Now, the word _hero_ holds a different meaning.

The boy slides the large door open, revealing faces of multiple people he did not recognize in a classroom made for battle purposes. Bakugo Katsuki, now _fifteen_ , is a first year at the famed U.A high school for heroes. He walks with his hands in his pockets, not sparing a glance at either of the students who gave him cold glares. Others always glare at him, ever since _that_ day. "Isn't that the person who got first place in the entrance exam?" A girl with pink curly hair asks. "He's super manly. I saw his quirk, it's no doubt he's worthy of number one." A boy with red spiky hair says.

"Just some damn show off. This day onwards it's going to be me to take his place and all the ladies!" A too short boy with purple blobs of hair on his scalp says. Bakugo glares directly at his face, scowling and the boy immediately flinches, retreating under a table. Under normal circumstances, Bakugo would have ripped that boy into two with his bare fists. However, things were different for Bakugo now. His only purpose here is to be Top Hero, to graduate U.A as number one… only then can he reach his _goal_. The extras in his class are just obstacles, he does not need friends and there is no enemy worthy of his abilities in this class. He will only focus on that one _goal._

"Get changed everyone. It's time for your first day as U.A. students – your quirk assessment test." A worn out looking man with stubble on his chin said.

* * *

"Everyone sure has flashy and creative quirks huh?" A boy with black hair says, long pieces of tape attached to his arms. "The flashiest though has to be Bakugo's…. perfect to match his fiery personality huh." A boy with yellow hair says. Bakugo raises an eyebrow and glares daggers at the both of them. "Out of the way, extras." Bakugo growls, fully changed into his new hero costume. These people were extras, he did not find any motivation nor incentive to even remember their names nor quirks. They were obstacles in his path, a pebble to a stone. _Friends_ didn't matter anymore. Friendship was fragile, manipulative and useless – just like the ones he had when he was ten years old and they all turned on him after that fateful day.

The two make way for him before furrowing their eyebrows. "What's his problem?" Kaminari asked. "I heard he's aiming for top hero and to graduate first in the class. As expected of number one in the entrance exams." Kirishima replies. "Though… he got zero rescue points in the entrance exam." Sero replied. "He still got first in the quirk assessment test." Minoru said, leaning against the lockers. "From what I heard, he's a prodigy with a lot of baggage." Minoru said, narrowing his eyes at the back figure of Bakugo.

"What do you mean, Minoru?" Kaminari asked. "I heard that he was famous for being number one in his old middle school as well, but for other _reasons_ too." Kirishima raised an eyebrow. "Maybe we shouldn't talk about him before getting to even know him guys." Kirishima replied, changing into his costume as well. "Well, it's up to you guys to believe it for yourself; but his violent attitude proves that he is not suited for the number one spot in the _hero_ course already."

* * *

All twenty students are gathered in front of Ground Beta, fully dressed in costumes suited for their real first battle simulation. Unlike the entrance exam when Bakugo mostly just hit robots, he would finally be getting a taste of real action. A place to really test his quirk and of course, to finally use it in real battle. Surely, this is his first real step to reaching his goal. "Do not worry, for I am here!" The voice is loud and confident, belonging to a muscular man with yellow blonde hair.

The rest of the students gape in awe and cheer, for the _symbol of peace_ is standing before them. The number one top hero who saved countless lives and fought countless battles; he is… "It's All Might!" Mina yells, cheering. Kirishima claps and Kaminari shakes Ojiro's tail in excitement. Bakugo stares, looking at his idol for the very first time in flesh and blood. Blood boils in him and sweat accumulates in his palms, itching to release his quirk. This man was his goal and his epitome of existence; to be the number one hero in all the world.

All Might was Bakugo's idol, even before his quirk manifested Bakugo had always looked up to him. A hero, powerful, confident, undefeatable. Even now, his hands shake with excitement. The idol he dreamt of is right before his eyes and will teach him everything there is to be top hero. Looking at his idol stirs something in Bakugo as he is reminded that there was an even bigger nerd who looked up to him even more than himself.

" _Kacchan! All Might is so cool! With your quirk, you could become just like him too!"_

The words ring in his head like a broken recorder, a voice so familiar he cannot seem to forget. He clenches his fists and bites his lower lip. Now, he is closer with every step to finding _him_.

"All right everyone! All of you performed greatly at Aizawa-kun's test! Now it's time for you to put your skills and knowledge to the test in a real setting, a real simulation. We'll be doing a Hero VS Villain simulation by splitting all of you into groups of two." All might says, a smile on his face. "Eh… fighting against each other. This seems bad." Mina replied. "I wonder how the pairings will be decided." Yaomomo says. Bakugo scowls, furious at the idea of forming into a group. He does not have the time to babysit some weakling in a real fight.

"We'll decide the pairings by lottery. Everyone pick a card." All Might says, handing the box to Iida first. Bakugo scowls when he opens his card, realizing that his paired with the stick-up-his-ass rich kid hero boy. "Bakugo-Kun, I look forward to teaming up with you! Let's make sure to win!" Iida says and Bakugo clicks his tongue. "Just stay out of my way, four eyes." Bakugo yells. Kaminari shakes his head and Tsuyu sighs in disappointment. "Bakugo might be the strongest in our class but he lacks cooperativeness and communication skills." Tsuyu says. Bakugo growls, like an eagle ready to pounce on a frog he smirks scarily at the petite girl. "What'd you say-"

"Ah! I'm paired with… Monoma." Uraraka says, disappointment. Monoma smirks scarily, a head of blonde hair plastered to his face and an exquisite tuxedo made him look like he was attending a ball as Cinderella's prince charming instead of a hero in practice. "Uraraka, you're pretty weak in combat with your quirk isn't it?" Monoma mocks, a mixture of a smirk and devastation on his face. Uraraka frowns and sighs, of all the people in the class she was paired with the mentally unstable one. "Why do I have to fight the strongest in the class?! I ranked last in the Quirk assessment test!" Monoma whispers to himself, as if ready to bash himself in the head. He glared at Bakugo who was only confident and powerful, not a stray of doubt in his features.

"First up, Villain team: Bakugo and Iida VS Hero team: Uraraka and Monoma! Enter the grounds and get ready. The others gather in the monitor room!" All might calls out. Uraraka sweats as she finds Monoma curls into a ball on the floor whispering weird things to himself in a state of devastation.

* * *

"Uraraka, how well do you know Bakugo's powers?" Monomo asks from behind the doors of the building. They still had some time to think of a plan before the actual fight would start and Monoma despite his usual sarcastic, passive-aggressive demeanor is still an intelligent boy who got into 1-A. Though… he admits he got into the class through sheer luck – he barely managed to pass the entrance exams with the limited use of his quirk.

"I've only seen him use it in the Quirk assessment test. Obviously, Bakugo-kun is extremely skilled and strong when engaging in close combat. However, he is quite rash and loud and I feel he is closest to a Villain in the class. He can easily kill both of us without hesitation!" Uraraka says with a straight face. "Despite your looks, you're actually quite bashful yourself huh…" Monoma blinked as he sweated at the short brunette. "Uraraka, I know your zero-gravity quirk isn't going to be able to stand on equal footing with Bakugo nor Iida. Which is why…." Monoma says, clenching Uraraka's shoulders with a tense ferocity she flinched. "I'm sacrificing my life to allow you to get close to the nuclear weapon." Uraraka sweats.

"You mean…" Uraraka questions but the alarms ring and they both look up, swallowing a hard lump in their throat. This is their first battle on a path to becoming heroes, a real simulation against villains and there is no holding back if they want to win against their strong opponents. "Let's go, Monoma-kun!" Uraraka says as they both enter the building. The two heroes are tense, sweat running down their foreheads as they search their surroundings. Uraraka and Monoma both know that Bakugo and Iida are top of the class with exceptional quirks and if they wanted to win their first fight – they'd have to give it all.

"Die!" Bakugo yells, appearing from behind Uraraka as she turns her head, flinching in fear. Bakugo sends a rough explosion towards the girl, dust emerging everywhere. Uraraka barely dodges as she turns away and rolls on the floor. Monoma smiles, a mix of fear and excitement as he rushes towards Bakugo. Bakugo reacts quickly, sending another explosion towards the blonde boy. Monomo is blown towards a wall and Bakugo smirks. "You extras are going to have to fight harder for me to even break a sweat." Uraraka scowls, eyebrows furrowed.

She is strong-willed and does not plan on losing her first fight so easily. Without a flinch of hesitation; she sprints forward to Bakugo; releasing a battle cry as Bakugo smirks. "Charging head first, round face? You have guts, don't you?" Bakugo yells, another explosion sent towards the girl. Uraraka dodges again, hoping to get into close range enough to activate her quirk against him. Unfortunately, Bakugo knows her quirk and doesn't even allow her the slightest chance.

"Round face?!" Uraraka asks in surprise or devastation. She crouches down, blocking one of his explosions to her face as she reaches her hand out towards Bakugo's extended arm. "A little more…" Uraraka whispers, so close to touching his flesh but… "I can see through your plan!" Bakugo yells, another explosion – this time louder and harder as it sends Uraraka crashing towards the opposite wall. Dust and soot explode everywhere and Bakugo's vision clouds for just a few seconds before he feels something on his back.

He turns, noticing Monoma's hand on his back and immediately, Bakugo clenches a fist and sends an explosion towards pretty boy's face. Monoma smiles as he expertly dodges the attack and when Bakugo attacks again with expert timing; Monoma counter attacks with none other than an equal explosion from his palms. Bakugo is caught off-guard, sent crashing towards a pillar. "Uraraka!" Monoma yells, looking down at Bakugo's body on the floor. Uraraka nods and sprints towards the exit path and doesn't look back.

 _Please hold on, Monoma-kun. I hope you don't die._

"Oi… Oi…." Bakugo growls, slowly getting up from the floor. He twitches and smirks, fury in his body. Bakugo surely did not miss that the power Monoma just used was indeed his own quirk. "Copycats lack originality as a hero, pretty boy." Bakugo replies, crackling his palms with fiery explosions. Monoma smirks in return despite the panic in his heart. As expected from the top of the entrance exams, Bakugo figured out his quirk in just one go.

Bakugo doesn't give Monoma time to think nor counter-attack, sprinting towards the boy with a fiery explosion with even more force. Monoma may be smart, but he lacks the skill and the practice to use a quirk as strong as Bakugo's. Monoma flinches, sprinting and blocking as he is forced to be on the defense. Bakugo laughs, "Oi, oi… you need to move faster or else I'll really blow your pretty face to bits!" Monoma internally screams, clenching his own face in panic. Bakugo was definitely going to break his face into pieces if Monoma didn't block his attacks in time. He scowls, glancing at the small watch on his belt.

 _2 minutes have passed. I have to hold out until Uraraka clears the stage._

This time, Monoma sends a wave of explosions towards Bakugo again, desperate for a hit. Bakugo grabs his arm without blinking, bending it towards his back and pinning him to the ground. "Your quirk… it has a time limit, doesn't it?" Bakugo asks, smirking as he sits on top of the boy. Monoma sweats, panic in his eyes as she smirks. "HAHAHA! You sure are smart aren't you?!" He replies with devastating eyes. Bakugo can't tell if the boy is trying to compliment him or has lost in mind in the battle. Bakugo shakes his head and grabs Monoma's collared tuxedo – now a mixture of dirt and soot.

"Fakes will never beat the originals!" Bakugo yells, throwing the boy with an explosive hit towards the ceiling. Monoma screams, directly hitting the concrete as his body collides and he can feel black and blue bruises all over. Monoma sweats, panic, fear running through his body. He knew the boy in front of him with the devilish smile was indeed going to _kill_ him with no hesitation.

Bakugo smirks, looking down at his prey with clenched fists. There were no worthy opponents to his power, only pebbles in his path. Bakugo was going to be the top hero and make sure he accomplished his goal; even if it means using force to get to the top.

Monoma screams in panic as he scooted in a corner, trying to get away from Bakugo desperately like a murderer in a movie. Bakugo smirks, stepping in front of the screaming boy and lands a hand on the boy's shoulder, eyes shining like a monster with a hunger for blood. Monoma screams louder and Bakugo clenches his fists as he pulls….

…. A white piece of tape from his pocket and securely wraps it around Monoma. The alarms ring almost instantaneously and Monoma breathes a sigh of relief.

"Villian Team wins! Bakugo and Iida wins while it's a menacing lost for Monoma and Uraraka!" All might yells from the speakers.

* * *

"What can you tell us about All Might?" A herd of reporters flocks to the entrance of U.A.; bombarding all the students who just got out of class. Kirishima furrows his eyebrows and Mina sighs. Eraser Head and Mic try to calm the reporters down, the two pro-heroes forming an invisible line of defense to prevent the reporters from getting closer. Mic looks especially irritated and has half a mind to activate his quirk and scream at the mass media but Eraser, his longtime friend since their days in U.A. raises an eyebrow at him instead.

"Please calm down. We will have a PR representative to answer your questions soon." Eraser replies.

"Is it true that All Might is teaching at U.A. this year? What are his intentions? Does he plan on staying in Tokyo?" Another reporter asks.

Iida jumps to the front, a face stern and calm. "Everyone! Please refrain from acting so recklessly! U.A. is a wonderful education system to train future heroes and students must learn from the best; we should all set good examples to incite good behave-" The reporters scowl at him.

"Oh… So it is true." A voice says from behind the crowd. His stature is short and lean beneath an attire of black vest and slacks. "The symbol of peace has arrived." The figure says, gloved hands combing through strands of black and green hair. "After his last fight, I thought he'd be out of the fighting scene for a while. Looks like he really is worthy of the title… always on the front lines, even if it means teaching the future generation of heroes." He smiles, eyes flashing amidst the crowd.

" **All Might…. I can't wait to end you**!" Red eyes flash as a smirk plasters itself on a face of freckles and a jagged scar running down his forehead.

* * *

Debut Chapter 1! Hope you guys liked the addition of Monoma to Class 1-A since I wanted to see someone who could threaten Bakugo both physically and emotionally (since that role was Deku's canonically and Bakugo always felt he was looked down by Deku) plus Monoma deserves more screen time. I know the pacing is kind of slow but I wanted to make sure I could build the foundation before I get into the important scenes! Make sure to leave a review because it keeps me motivated!


	3. Karma

**Chapter 2**

"Toshi, has any of the students caught your eye yet?" A voice calls out from behind the skinny, tall man with blonde hair. Rather, the source of the voice is from way beneath him.

"Sensei. This year's students are exceptional, proven to be the next generation of heroes. However… I have not really felt a connection with any of them." The man says. Principal Nezu smiles, his short hands behind his back. "Toshi, there is no need for rush. You must take your time in finding a suitable candidate to be the next heir of the symbol of hope." Toshinori nods, baggy white shirt handing off his shoulders. "I know, sensei. Somehow… It doesn't seem right to give my quirk to these already exceptional students with their own quirks." He said, shaking his head. He did not forget the time when his old teacher, Shimura Nana gave him One for All. He was young and powerless – quirkless, and he too hoped to one day yield power. At his core, he did not know if it seemed fair to give already powerful quirk holders One for All just for the sake of becoming the next of symbol of hope.

Toshinori felt that there had to be more _meaning_ behind choosing his heir. This power was dangerous and led to a fate of one day facing **All for One** , something he hoped would never come now that the villain was kept at a maximum secret facility. Still, he was running out of time. With the injuries he sustained with the last fight, he knew he would not last long…

 _And evil would not wait._

* * *

"I met All Might today. Just like the dreams I used to have as a kid, he's exactly every part of the symbol of hope I envisioned." Bakugo says, leaning against the white wall of the almost empty room. "Strong, powerful, never gives up. Everything a hero should be." He says despite the silence of the room, the only sound being the beeping of the machine next to the bed. Oddly, those characteristics of a hero were exactly what Bakugo had. "After all these years of looking up to him, I thought I'd grown out of that kid who idolized him, you know?" The machine only beeps, the body on the bed never responding.

"Looks like no matter how much time passes… I'm still stuck in the past, huh?" Bakugo says, head lowered as he stares at his own sweaty palms. "He would have been excited to meet him. Even more excited than me." He says, slightly smiling at the thought. "Would have stumbled over his words and stutter like an annoying fanboy." The steady beating of the machine rings in his head. Bakugo doesn't turn to look at the unconscious body on the bed, he has stared at it too many times in the past _five_ years.

"I'm finally at the starting point of my goal." Bakugo says, hands clenched at his side. He lowers his head and closes his eyes. "Soon, I'll get my license and I can finally bring him back. I'll finally be a full-fledged hero and bring that puny ass of his back." Bakugo growls beneath his shaking hands. "For all the pain he's put me through… these five years…." Bakugo opens his eyes. "I'll bring him back and make him kneel for forgiveness in front you, Aunt Inko." Bakugo says, getting up from his chair to the door.

The machine only beeps, no signs of life nor death. Bakugo doesn't look back – he has always only focused on his future, his goals, his aspiration. The past cannot hold him back no matter how painful and deep it has hurt him. He is as strong-willed as his mother, born and raised to be a fighter; the past mistakes he made nor the consequences he has suffered cannot hold his potential as a hero back; it only drives him stronger.

" _Then I'll beg for his too."_

* * *

"Ah, Monoma-kun. I didn't know you were the type to bring their own bentos!" Uraraka asks. After their last battle practice, Uraraka had no way of defeating Iida nor to get close to the nuclear weapon. In the end, it was a battle to be lost from the start. However…. "HAHA! Are you the type of people that don't have the luxury of bringing their own bentos?!" Monoma says, mocking with a sarcastic smile. "Ah, I just thought Monoma-kun seemed like the rich spoiled brat type and buys friends by paying for their cafeteria lunches." Uraraka says, earning a shocked gasp and loud screams from both Tsuyu and Iida.

"Ochako-chan… I can't tell if you're a demon or an innocent sheep." Tsuyu says, shaking her head. Monoma flinches, a face of devastation as he crumbles to the floor from the words spoken by Uraraka. "It was humiliating enough I almost died by the hands of a tyrant, now I'm being humiliated by a girl." Monoma whispers. Uraraka raises an eyebrow and stares at the body of Monoma on the ground.

"Out of the way, extras!" Bakugo yells, glaring at the group of classmates in his way. Uraraka makes a path for Bakugo and Iida frowns. "Bakugo! Where is your tie?! It's been a month since school started and you still do not follow proper school attire code!" Iida yells, hands shaking up and down like an emergency exit sign.

"Iida-kun…. You shouldn't tell Bakugo what to do." Uraraka whispers, sweat on her forehead. She witnessed first hand just how talented the explosive boy was and that he was no empty threat. Although he was aggressive and violent, Uraraka had to admit he was worthy of the number one spot in the first years at U.A.

"AGHHHH!" Monoma yells, blonde hair standing up as he screams girlishly, a hand pointing at Bakugo. Everyone turns to look at him like he grew two heads. "Y-you… brought your own bento?!" Monoma laughs, a hand wrapped around his stomach as he laughs loudly, sending echoes throughout the classroom. Monoma may be scared to death of Bakugo Katsuki after their previous fight, but that won't stop him from being an asshole either. Bakugo's eyebrow turns into an arch and his eye twitches. "YOU WANNA FIGHT, PRETTY BOY?!" Bakugo growls and Monoma flinches in fear, back slammed against a corner of the wall but he continues to laugh. It amazes everyone just how mentally unstable Monoma is.

"Bakugo-kun… doesn't seem like the type to bring a bento either. He seems like the one student which runs to the cafeteria the moment the bell rings and then run over everyone to buy _Yakisoba_ bread." Uraraka says. Tsuyu accidentally laughs out loud and Bakugo twitches, hands exploding into dust as he sprints for the two girls. Before Uraraka and Tsuyu can even react, their bodies directly in front of the sliding door; Bakugo sprints with a hop as an explosion sets off, his hand so close to touching Uraraka's shaking face but then-

"YOO GUYS! Who wants yakisoba bread?!" Kirishima yells, sliding the door open the exact moment Bakugo crossed the door and his face was met with the door instead. Everyone goes silent and doesn't dare to move a muscle. Bakugo falls to the floor, face against the dirty floor as his body twitched. "What's Bakugo doing on the floor?" Kirishima asked. Kaminari pokes a head behind the red-head and raises an eyebrow. Uraraka and Tsuyu take the chance to step back from the trio, hoping to escape _death_. "Shitty hair…!" Bakugo growls, his entire body going livid as he sprints and hops towards him with an explosion in his palms.

Kirishima's instinct kicks in and his body hardens, his arms are shields to effectively block the explosions. "Uhmm.. Bakugo?" Bakugo doesn't flinch at the use of his quirk. He doesn't care and growls, sending another explosion. "K-Kirishima!" Kaminari yells, realizing Kirishima is sent towards a wall, denting it in the process. "Bakugo! Stop!" Iida yells. The whole class freezes, the air of laughter no more. They stare at the spiky blond in the middle of the commotion, smoke arising from his sweaty palms. Bakugo turns his head to realize his own destruction and clicks his tongue, walking away without a second word.

* * *

" _ **Why are you guys looking at me like that?"**_

Bakugo's voice is hard and harsh, a mixture of hurt and anger. He has never used this tone before, never had to – everyone in class looks up to him because of his amazing quirk. He has always been the genius, the prodigy, the best. No one is his rival nor his equal. To be on the top is a lonely path but he accepts his position as ruler unlike no other – even at the age of _ten_.

"It's him. Bakugo… Bakugo's a villain." The words come out from a girl in his class – he doesn't remember her but from that day onwards, Bakugo would never forget her face. "What are you talking about?!" Bakugo growls, small hands at the age of ten sprint forward and explode; the girl backed to a wall and instantly cries at the sight of violence. "Bakugo… he really is a villain." Another says. Bakugo sweats, turning to look back at the crowd. All of his so-called friends stare at him with an expression of fear and anger, so different from the admiration he always knew. "You wanna fight?!" Bakugo growls at the one boy he knows truly. It's his friend with the bat-like wings quirk. He was one of his lackies, a loud, obnoxious and obese kid who was all bark at no bite. In this situation, he obviously only stands behind the crowd to be the villain.

"Midoriya-kun is dead because of you!" A girl yells, tears in her eyes. The words do not process in Bakugo's head. The name feels distant, the word 'dead' does not make sense. "What…" He only manages to whisper. He cannot comprehend the words when associated with the weakling of an eyesore Deku. He was just a pebble in his way, someone who was in no position to protect others and act like a hero; and yet he always did.

"Midoriya is not dead. The teachers just said he was missing." Another yell. Bakugo's eyes widen in shock. There was no way something like that would happen, no way – he just saw Deku yesterday. Yesterday, Deku was whining going on and on about something stupid like….

 _Wanting to borrow his power._

It hits Bakugo like thunder that the way Deku was weird, weirder than usual. He didn't fight back; didn't even last longer than usual with his attacks; instead, he just laid there on the ground – devastation on his face. "Midoriya is missing because of you guys, isn't it?! You're all bullies!" The girl from before yells, tears running down her face. Bakugo clicks his tongue in anger. "The hell you guys talking about?! I saw Deku yesterday! He is not dead!" Bakugo yells.

"Bakugo's telling the truth." A boy says, a head of red hair. Bakugo turns to look at him, somehow feeling that there was more to this boy. "I saw Bakugo and Midoriya yesterday, at the park." He replies. "See?! I told you. Deku is not dead and that weakling will never die no matter how many times I try." Bakugo replies. The boy flinches and clenches his fists. "No matter how many times you try?! Does that mean you've been seriously trying to kill him all this time?!" The red-haired boy yelled. Bakugo scowls, squinting his eyes at him until he remembered…

… _.This was the boy Deku stood up for in their last fight._

"You…" Bakugo says. "I saw Bakugo hit Midoriya again. It's not the first time and yesterday could have been the last – Midoriya is missing because of _you_ , Bakugo!" The red-haired boy yells, a ferocity in his voice. Bakugo growls. "The shit you talking about?! You're just a weakling who couldn't protect himself?!" Bakugo yells. The boy trembles, hands shaking but his eyes look at Bakugo with a sense of hostility. "You're right I'm just a weakling… Midoriya is an even more of a weakling than me too, but he stood up for me. He is not a _bully_ like you, Bakugo. **Midoriya may be quirkless but he is more of a hero than you ever will be!"** The boy shouts, tears in his eyes.

The entire class goes silent and still, the words ring in the air like thunder after a rainstorm. Bakugo's eyes widened, his fists shaking. There was no way Bakugo was a villain, he was powerful, strong and deserved to be on the top like All Might. He was always told of his potential to be a hero… so how…

 _How could a quirkless Deku be more of a hero than him?_

Bakugo clenches his fists and clicked his tongue. "I'm always more of a hero than any of you weaklings! Get it, I'll always be on the top!" Bakugo yells, palms cracking with force. The girls in the crowd squirm and cry. "Was it fun? Does it satisfy you, Bakugo? To bully those with power and are below you?" The red-haired boy asks. Bakugo trembles and flinches. "You and your friends always bullied Midoriya. Was it fun? To see him fight and lose for standing up against you?!" The boy yells again, tears in his eyes.

Bakugo doesn't reply. His hands are shaking, eyes stinging. He did not even comprehend the consequences of his actions. He did not ever think it through as to why he choose to hit Deku. To Bakugo, he was always superior and at the top. He was amazing; thus no one should ever have to worry nor protect him. But whenever he was in trouble…

" _Kacchan, are you okay?"_

…. Deku was always the only one to worry about him. It pissed off Bakugo. It made him angry that Deku thought he needed protecting. A child so young could not understand the kindness and compassion of his friend, but rather choose to fight with brute force against him. Bakugo always felt that a quirkless Deku was looking down on him, looking down at his superiority. He was threatened by Deku's existence even when he was quirkless… oh, the irony.

"What's going on here? Children… the police are here." A teacher says, raising an eyebrow as she walks into the classroom. Two male officers walk in, dressed in their standard uniform. Bakugo's eyes widened and he doesn't move from his spot. "As your teachers have told you, Midoriya Izuku has been reported missing. We're going to need information to find him so if anyone of you…" The officer starts.

"It's him!" The red-haired boy yells, pointing at Bakugo. Everyone turns to him, a face of sweat on Bakugo's forehead. "I saw Bakugo hit Midoriya yesterday at the park. Now Midoriya is missing!" The boy yells. Bakugo gulps and looks at the officers. "No… I-I didn't do anything!" Bakugo shouts. "This is an important investigation, boy. You cannot make allegations that are not true." The officer replies, raising an eyebrow.

"No, it is! Bakugo always bullies Midoriya! I saw him hit Midoriya yesterday too! He's a villain, officer!" The boy replies. Bakugo's world goes hazy as he is judged and stared upon by others as if he were really the villain. "Is that true?" The officer asks. Bakugo struggles to answer, his hands shaking. "No! I-I… I did hit him! But I have nothing to do with why he went missing!" Bakugo shouts, trying to smile. The officers look at him with worried expressions.

"If that is true, boy. It means you are the last person to see Midoriya Izuku alive. We're going to need to bring you back to the station for further questioning." The officer says. "A case of bullying? I thought they said this was villain related?" The other officer says, whispering low into his colleague's ear. "Bullying can lead to terrible decisions when we're kids, Tsukauchi. Either way, we're going to have to bring this kid in even if he has nothing to do with the disappearance of Midoriya Izuku."

Bakugo trembles, legs shaking for the first time. His heart clenches and his head clouds. He has nothing to do with this… so why… why was he being blamed for it? "No, if this is about hitting Deku then you can't just bring me in! They.. they fought Deku too!" Bakugo says, pointing towards his two friends, the quirk of bat-like wings and the wiggly long hands in the corner. The two gasp and look stunned by Bakugo.

"Right, guys? We're-" Before Bakugo could finish his sentence, the boy with long wiggly hands shouts. "How could you, Bakugo?! You were the one who bullied Midoriya and now you want to pin the blame on us?" Bakugo doesn't move, stunned. "Y-Yeah! How could you? We're your friends! Just because we didn't stop you from hitting Midoriya now you're trying to drag us into this mess?" The bat-like wings quirk user says.

Bakugo's world stops at that exact moment. It is a large shock for a ten-year-old who believed he was the supreme leader of the world, who thought he was the best, who thought his vast number of friends always admired him – that the foundation of his very world crumbled to pieces. Bakugo's red eyes widen, tears streaming down his face. The very friends he had all these years turned on him the moment things turned bad. The victims of his bullying ganging up on him for his mistakes. Just how naïve…. Had he been?

 _That was the reality Bakugo learned about society at the young age of ten._

Bakugo clenches his fists, steam surrounds his palms. He lowers his head and a tear drops to the floor. Bakugo has always been a fighter, someone who does not cry or allow himself vulnerability even when wronged. He is someone who accepts challenges and always rises to it – even now when a ten-year-old is betrayed by everything he has ever believed in. "Oi you bastards. Don't act like you're all innocent and good." Bakugo says, arms cracking with an explosion. Everyone turns to look at him, the two officers on high alert.

 _And his first, and last setback._

"Both of you seemed to be the having the time of your lives when you joined in to beat up Deku, didn't you?!" He yelled, explosions releasing as Bakugo sprints forward to the two. The two boys are panicking, eyes tearing up as they see an explosion – too fast to even react as Bakugo's hand encircle around one of their necks and the other pins to the arms of the next. "STOP!" The officer yells but Bakugo doesn't register the voices. He doesn't care about the consequences now, he only feels _rage_.

"I had nothing to do with Deku's disappearance!" Bakugo yells, releasing another explosion as it blows up in the face of one of his former friends. "I admitted I bullied him, but don't you dare act like you had nothing to do with it!" Bakugo growls, a strong fist pummelling through the fat boy's cheek. "Useless quirks like yours can't even protect yourself?! Yet you were laughing when it hit Deku huh?" Bakugo yells again, another fist meets flesh. "You're just a weakling who isn't strong enough to fight so you bully those beneath you to make you feel strong!" Bakugo yells, rage filled words ring in the air as he pounces, a fist in the air stopped by an officer in time.

"That's enough, boy. Bring him in!"

* * *

Bakugo remembers that events of that day like it just yesterday. The memories are still fresh and linger in his mind. It is the day the foundation of his world collapsed. The day _everything_ changed. Ever since that day, Bakugo has only been feared, misunderstood and treated as a villain. His friends betrayed him, and he no longer sees the need to play a game of friendship. There is no need for people who only hang out with him to manipulate him, then to only betray when things are not ideal. Bakugo has learned the hard way how karma works – that the things he did to others will always come back to him. How he treated others in the past, bullied those without power, hurt those who disobeyed him – it comes back to him with full interest. Ever since that day, Bakugo has been a loner, separating from crowds and others in school. Five years have passed and Bakugo will never allow himself to be vulnerable every again.

"Yo, Bakugo!" A voice says, a hand waving in the air. Bakugo turns, hands tucked inside his pockets. It's the weird, enthusiastic, red-haired kid in his class. "Huh?!" Bakugo yells, eyes twitching. "Why did you run off? I wanted to apologize for hitting you with the door. It was an accident man." He says and Bakugo furrows his eyebrows, not comprehending what he just heard. "Har?!" Bakugo growled, raising an eyebrow. "Awh man, don't be mad! Here! I brought you Yakisoba bread!" Kirishima says, holding a bag of food.

Bakugo narrows his eyes at the red-haired boy. "Are you an idiot?" Bakugo asks, eyes blinking at the weird human in front of him. He expected a fight, maybe a few curse words that told him he was a shitty and arrogant person but then he… he was offering him food. "Here! I got Yakisoba extra meat, extra spicy… oh and mayonnaise." Kirishima says, fishing his hands into the bag. Kirishima raises an eyebrow at Bakugo. "Why you don't like yakisoba? Uh… maybe I should have asked what you liked to eat first…" Kirishima hesitantly says, a hand rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Something burns in Bakugo and he snatches the bag from Kirishima's hands. "I WANT THE EXTRA SPICY YAKISOBA BREAD!" Bakugo growls, tearing at the plastic bag as he stared at the slightly sorry look of Kirishima. "Eh, you're so manly, Bakugo!"

Even the loneliest of souls cannot resist the temptation of food.

* * *

"How is our _mole_ doing inside U.A.?" Tomura asks, stirring through a glass of dark purple liquid. Kurogiri cleans a bottle as he turns towards the white-haired boy. "He's blending in extremely well. No one will ever suspect him." Kurogiri replies. A smile creeped onto Tomura's face. "As expected of our recruit. Trained and fed since the age of twelve to prepare him for this day. All for One would be pleased if he was here now."

"Soon, we will free All for One from the jail those Heroes keep him." A voice says, gloved hands against the wooden table. "Our mole is our greatest asset. He is trained in deceit and deception. The fool he plays is the best blade to turn against those heroes who believe they are all good." The boy with black and green hair smiles, a finger running through the jagged scar on his forehead. "When the opportunity arises, we will crumble those heroes for good." Kurogiri replies.

"Those heroes are just the mini-bosses before our big boss All might shows up. And when he does…" Tomura smirks, eyes filled with excitement for despair.

"We will end the reign of heroes." Izuku says, red eyes flashing.

* * *

I know everyone is impatient with the pacing but I promise i'm trying to build character development! Especially Bakugo's. I wanted to shed some light towards his childhood and why he is who he is. One thing that struck close to home was that Bakugo was an evil, disgusting human but he changed, he choose to change. Humans do not have to stay broken if they try hard enough, and Bakugo to me choose to change to redeem himself and to make up for what he did to Deku - both in the canon and in this AU.


	4. Red Flag

**Chapter 3**

The police said Deku was reported missing shortly after his mother was taken away by a villain. It was that day Deku came running after Bakugo, to ask for power… Bakugo only realized it meant he was trying to save his mother. Deku came to Bakugo because he trusted him and Bakugo had told him to kill himself instead. After Bakugo was brought in to the police, they questioned him and put in a warning for misuse of his quirk, the number one trait in children who later turn into a path of crime and become villains.

However, Bakugo never once thought of going down that path. Bakugo has and always will only be a hero.

Bakugo was never told of what actually happened to Deku's mom to be involved with a villain. The police never told anything to a ten-year-old like him. It had been about a week later that news came in on the phone. Bakugo's mother, Mitsuki had gotten a call from the police that Katsuki was released from any suspicions or of a person of interest in Deku's disappearance. Bakugo was relieved but soon after, but the weight on his shoulders never disappeared either. The police said Deku's mother was found in a warehouse, suffering a severe concussion and **Deku… was never found**.

Bakugo never understood why Deku would leave when his mother was here, when his mother was his everything. He knew Deku was loyal to his mother so why… why would he leave her? Bakugo just couldn't figure out why or what Deku had been doing to choose to leave his own mother, his _hero_ , confined to a bed with a coma without him by her side?

It has been five years since then, and Bakugo's attitude of hating to lose has not given up on searching for Deku. Bakugo is too smart and too talented to give up this easily, not after what Deku has made him suffer for all these years. The past five years, Bakugo's sole purpose has been to train and hone his quirk to get into U.A., for his goal – is to get his provisional license and finally track down Deku without the _law_ holding him back.

It is illegal for people to use their quirks to interfere in investigations, especially those within the boundaries of the police. Bakugo Katsuki knows very well the last time he was invited into the police station that if he were ever caught in illegal crimes again, the police would not hesitate to put him behind bars after his previous black record. Still, it does not mean Bakugo is not allowed to gather information. Bakugo searched for answers everywhere, ran around the streets of their Middle school, Deku's apartment, the parks they used to play at… anything for a sign. Maybe, if he searched hard enough; he would find Deku, innocently playing by himself without a worry in the world.

 _How naïve had he been._

Bakugo clenches the piece of paper in his hands. A white piece of paper with only a blurred picture and a report asking for information… a police investigation. With the words **'Villain Deku'** and **wanted**. For five years, Bakugo had never forgotten the weakling who always behind him. He had never forgotten the reason why he trained harder than anyone else. Bakugo was going to find Deku, but now…

The blurred image stares back at him.

"There's no way this name is a coincidence… right?" Bakugo whispers to himself among the streets of people. Bakugo may have matured and changed over the years to be a better person and learn from his mistakes; but Deku had changed as well and choose to go down a road of no return…..

 **As if they were two sides of the same coin**.

* * *

"The secret to becoming pro-heroes lies in one's quirk, their abilities and their fast thinking." Midnight starts. "Everyone has different quirks, different circumstances to use it or different weaknesses in combat." Iida nods, a finger on his chin. "However, in order for a pro-hero to succeed, it is important for one to be able to make up for their own shortcomings and learn to accept help from others." Minoru drools, eyes in a daze as he stared at the R-18 Pro hero. "You cannot be a hero without learning to work with others, especially against large numbers of opponents or in a major disaster crisis that requires urgent and efficient evacuation." Kaminari nods, eyes glaring with excitement as he stands next to Minoru, their eyes never leaving the body of their Pro Hero teacher.

"Which is why today, we'll be working on building friendship and cooperation as a team!" Midnight says. Bakugo is the first to growl and yell at the teacher's words. "DON'T YOU FUCK AROUND WITH ME! I AM NOT WORKING WITH ANY OF THESE EXTRAS-" Bakugo yells but is cut off when a whip is around his wrist, pulling him off guard and into a wall. "Bakugo Katsuki was it? You may be strong but you are on the top of my list to _punish_ into submission for today's lesson." She says, her tongue licking her lips seductively. Minoru gapes and yells, hands scratching against his purple scalp. "You lack the necessary cooperative skills the most among this class, Bakugo. Which is why today's exercise is important!" Midnight says and Bakugo pulls away from the restraint on his wrist and yells.

"YOU CAN'T FORCE ME!" Bakugo yells as he sprints forward but Midnight slashes her whip and it ties effortlessly onto Bakugo's neck, allowing his body to be restrained as Midnight caressed his cheeks seductively. "My, that dominant attitude of yours does not go well with my _sadistic_ tastes." Minoru yells, grabbing Kaminari by the arm. "THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Minoru screeches. "IT'S MY TURN NEXT, PUNISH ME MIDNIGHT SENS-" Minoru's words are cut off by Tsuyu's long tongue which hits him directly in the face, effectively shutting him up.

"Now, let's form into groups of five shall we? Each team will face off against another team in a Hero Vs Villain scenario." Midnight says. "Eh, a Hero vs Villain team battle again?" Kaminari asks, raising an eyebrow. "Last time, All Might allowed groups of two to really test each and every one's quirk and cooperativeness in battle." Midnight replied. "In Bakugo's case, he has overwhelmingly strong and Iida was a quick thinker to remove all the objects Uraraka could have used her quirk on." Uraraka and Iida nods.

"However, the cooperativeness between Iida and Bakugo was non-existent. If Uraraka and Monoma had actually seen through that and used that weakness to their advantage; they would have oppressed the team and won." Bakugo scowls, senses alarming in his head. There was no way someone could win against him, right? He was the strongest, best in class – he would not lose to any of these extras-

"Oh, does that mean we can easily overturn the tables on Bakugo?!" Mina said, cheering in her U.A. sports attire. The entire class were ordered to wear their sports attire for this lesson instead of their hero costumes to make things fair. Bakugo flinched, steam evaporating in his palms. "Midnight Sensei is right, Bakugo had only used brute force in the previous battle and there was no cooperation between him and his teammate. If anyone tried hard enough to take advantage of that foolishness, they could have easily used that overconfidence and turned the tables on him." Yaomomo replies, a finger on her chin.

Bakugo clicked his tongue and scowled. "HAR?!" He growls. "Well, as I was saying – the purpose of splitting into a five-man cell is that with the increase in numbers, it means more collective strength but also more communication problems." Midnight continues. "When you are grouped against a vast number of opponents, lone fighters cannot win no matter how strong you are." Bakugo blinks, realizing his mistake in thinking that he could easily win. He hated to admit it, but the teacher was right, in the previous fight he easily won against Monoma because he was strong enough to take down one opponent – but if it were against five…

"As the previous battle, we'll decide the pairings by random! Everyone gather around and take a card!" Midnight replies. Bakugo growled, snatching a card from the box before Iida could even yell at him for going first instead of an orderly queue. "Ah! We're a team bro, lucky!" Kirishima said, high-fiving with Kaminari. Kaminari smirks and puts two thumbs in the air. "Wait, I'm on the same team as well!" Uraraka says, raising an eyebrow as she stares at Kirishima's card. "That's great! Yippie! We're together!" Kaminari said as he danced into a circle, Kirishima and Uraraka following him as they hopped in a circle like idiots.

"Ah I am on the same team as well! Everyone, let's hope to work together!" Iida says, hands going up and down as he was pulled into the circle of friendship with Uraraka. Bakugo flinches, sweat falling down his forehead as his fingers twitch, trying to slowly flip the card open.

 _Please…anything but the idiot team. Anything but to be with all those idiots!_

He slowly flips the card open, revealing the capital letter C he does not want to see the most. A face of devastation comes over Bakugo's face as he shouts and yells. "Bakugo! You're on our team! This is so great!" Kirishima says, dragging Bakugo into the circle of friendship. "FUCK NO IT'S NOT! AND I AM NOT JOINING YOUR LITTLE DANCE!" Bakugo growls, breaking the formation of the circle. Uraraka sighs and Iida pushes his glasses upwards. "Bakugo! We have gotten the second chance to work together again! It must mean that we must work together and push aside our differences!" Bakugo flinches, palms cracking at the sight of the four-eyed boy.

 _Anything but the four eyes with a stick up his ass!_

"Alright since the teams are decided let's start the battle immediately. The setting is a straightforward American Capture the Flag!" Midnight says. "Each team will get a flag and the flag must be on a team member's body throughout the game. The flag may be hidden under your clothes, so your opponents will have to figure out who is carrying the flag. Next, members of the team each must wear a wristband of their team color, and it must be visible to everyone as well. When the battle starts, teams must take the other team's flag to count as a victory!" Midnight says.

"However, each team member can be disqualified when their wristband is taken away by an opponent. The key to winning this game is simple: a balance of offense and defense. You must protect the person with your flag, take down the other team's flag while not losing any members in the process. Sounds simple enough?" Midnight says. Bakugo's eyes widened, his brain already analysing the steps and processes needed to win this battle.

Obviously, the key word Midnight missed is _teamwork_.

"First up: Team C: Bakugo, Kaminari, Uraraka, Kirishima and Iida vs Team D: Todoroki, Yaoyarozu, Tsuyu, Tokoyami and Monoma!" The members gather and Bakugo scowls, sweat gleaming through his forehead. A five-man cell team up of Capture the flag shouldn't be above his abilities. Bakugo could already imagine taking down all five members of the opposing team and stealing the flag without worry. He did not need extras, did not need cooperation or help from others.

 _Friends will only be around you when it's convenient for them and will not hesitate to betray_ _you when it's not._

Bakugo Katsuki had only relied on his own power and strength to get to where he stood today. He has never needed anyone else's help; nor will he need it now.

"You're allowed ten minutes to brief, scatter!"

Bakugo is handed a wristband in the color yellow and ties it to his left wrist. Apparently it's made of some sort of titanium alloy similar to Eraser Head's binding cloth which won't destroy easily even in the use of his quirk. "Alright first thing on the agenda, who shall we decide to hold our team flag?" Iida asks. Bakugo looks up to him, clicking his tongue. "The opposing team will obviously corner and attack the person holding our flag first, which is why it should be _me_ to hold it." Bakugo says, everyone looking in his direction.

Everyone thinks for a few seconds before immediately answering "No.", except for Uraraka who secretly agreed but did not want to sound rude. "WHAT?!" Bakugo yelled, furious as steam evaporated in his palms. "No offense, Bakugo – but you're really strong so I get why we should let you hold the flag but I think you're more suited for offense." Kirishima says. "I agree, in order to maximize our strategy; Bakugo should be focused on offense and if he is holding the flag it will distract him constantly." Iida replies. "Plus… I'm pretty sure everyone on the opposing team will guess that Bakugo will be the one to protect the flag." Kaminari says.

Steam evaporates from Bakugo's direction and he scowls deeply. "THEN WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST?!" Uraraka flinched at his loud voice. "Uh… what about I hold the flag?" Uraraka asks. "HAR?!" Bakugo yells, eyes twitching. "Well…. Since I'm the weakest here I don't think anyone will expect me to hold the flag." Uraraka replies. Bakugo processes for a moment and to his contrary, he agrees in his head but cannot admit it – so he clicks his tongue instead. "Well, if Uraraka is holding the flag then we need to split into offense and defense." Iida says. Kaminari's eyes narrow at Kirishima, something _deep_ reflects when he seizes the opportunity to ask…

"Kirishima, what's your quirk? I'm sure all of you know mine is electricity. I can recharge from an outlet and output a high voltage at one time." Kaminari says, smiling innocently. "Mine is hardening, I can harden my body to act as a weapon and a shield." Kirishima says, fists hardening. "Then it's decided, Kirishima and Iida is defense while Bakugo and Kaminari is offense." Uraraka replies.

"Kaminari-kun, if I remember your quirk wasn't particularly outstanding in the mock battle with Jiro-chan…." Uraraka says, a finger on her chin. Kaminari flinches, suddenly nervous as he laughs. "Ah…. That's because my quirk-" Kaminari is cut off when the whistle blows and everyone stands up.

"Briefing is over. Everyone secure your wristbands and the flag must be on a team member immediately." Everyone nods and the rocky terrain of ground Beta moves. Both teams stand on each side and neither look like they plan on losing. "Get ready, set and go!" Midnight's shout is drowned out by the voice of Bakugo's explosion, the first to launch an attack and sprints towards enemy territory – a single white line to split the terrain of each team. "Bakugo! Don't split up-" Iida's voice is cut off when the first explosion hits a shadow, a dark figure of a… bird. "Tokoyami, nice defense!" Monoma shouts. Bakugo clicks his tongue, not realizing that Bird Boy had a pretty hefty quirk for defense…

The shadow moves, enlarging and then wrapping its talons around Bakugo's body, throwing him off guard and towards the floor.

…. And offense?!

"Bakugo!" Kirishima shouts, sprinting towards him but a block of ice cuts his way suddenly. "What the…." Todoroki sprints and ice follows suit in his trail. "Such a powerful quirk!" Uraraka says, flinching at the sight. "Oi round face! Get your head in the game!" Bakugo shouts, already back on his feet as his palms crackle and sends an explosion towards Tokoyami. Tokoyami's dark shadow flinches, shrieking slowly and Bakugo smirks – a _weakness_.

"Try harder, Bird Boy!" Bakugo yells, another explosion surrounds Tokoyami, desperately struggling to hold back against the attacks. All Bakugo needs is to get close enough to Bird Boy and then snatch his wristband away. All he needs is to break his defense, which would be easy considering…. Shadows are affright of light. "Monoma!" Tokoyami yells for help, Monoma jumps out of a rock in hiding to sprint for Bakugo – who effectively dodges the boy's touch. "Didn't you learn your lesson last time? Copycat?!" Bakugo growled, an explosion sent directly to Monoma's pretty face. Monoma flinches, coughing as he inhales a large amount of dust. He was not suited for practical fights with the limited use of his quirk, because if he didn't copy someone's quirk, he is _useless_.

"Monoma!" Tokoyami yells and suddenly when he is off guard, Bakugo slams an explosion into Dark Shadow, watching it shriek and scream and then within a second, Tokoyami's purple wristband is off his arm. "Tokoyami out! Get off the field immediately!" Bakugo smirks, hearing the siren and Midnight's voice, now turning his back as he approached poor defenceless Monoma. "No.. No… Not again!" Monoma screams and squirms in a corner as he backs again a rock.

Bakugo's fingers are inches away from Monoma's wristband, a smirk creeping up his calculated face.

 _I always win. I am the strongest. I am powerful… no one is on my level…_

Game ov-

A burst of ice erupts from Monoma's hands, the ice shards evolving so suddenly it splinters' Bakugo's right hand, blood dripping from it. Within a second, Monoma's smirk comes back to life as ice surrounds his hands and Bakugo flinches, immediately pulling away and forming distance between them.

"What the…" Bakugo growls, furious as he realizes his mistake. Pain erupts in his right hand put he swallows the taste of blood in his mouth and clenches his fists. "Monoma, make the most of it! Take Bakugo down!" Yaomomo yells. Monomo smirks, ice evolving in one hand.

 _One of his team members borrowed him a quirk._

It doesn't take long for the two to partake in a rematch of their last fight, but Bakugo knows Monoma is here to keep him occupied. Bakugo had walk into a trap the moment he rushed toward enemy territory and split up from his team. He clicked his tongue but Monoma's ice attacks keep him too occupied to even look away and consider regrouping.

"Bakugo!" Kirishima yells, back against Iida as Uraraka rushes forward, making rocks and boulders weightless as she propels it as weapons for Kirishima and Kaminari. They're surrounded by Todoroki, Tsuyu and Yaomomo – a combination of a high offense quirk and the ultimate flexibility. Compared to Kirishima who can only defend, Iida who can run fast and Kaminari who might electrocute everyone even his own team members – the advantage is clear on one side.

"It was a good strategy to lure Bakugo, the strongest to a one on one. Which makes the other formation of Team C, flawed and weakened." Todoroki mutters, a hand of ice in his right. "Well, we have to thank Yaomomo for her genius plan." Tsuyu says, her long tongue slapping against Kaminari as it wraps around him – before the other three team members can react, Yaomomo reaches out and takes out Kaminari's wristband.

"Kaminari disqualified!" Midnight yells and a siren goes out. "Since when did-" Iida spits out but Yaomomo sprints forward, a rod of metal pulled out from bare flesh in her shoulders. "Don't look away in a fight, Iida!" Yaomomo yells, sending Iida against a wall and the next second Todoriki's ice evolves into a thick cage, barricading Iida to the wall. "Iida-kun!" Uraraka yells, holding long boulders in her hands as she swings it towards Yaomomo and Tsuyu. "Eliminate him now, Todoroki-san!" Yaomomo yells.

"Iida disqualified! Oh, Team C is down to three members! Looks like Team D is on the rise!" Midnight yells. "Let's get this over with, everyone." Todoroki says, a cold breath released from his mouth as his right body is covered in ice, forming holes on his blue sports attire. "Shit, Uraraka! Down let your guard down!" Kirishima yells. Suddenly he's the only one to defend Uraraka, the actual member holding their flag. "Once Bakugo-san is the only member left, it'll make taking eliminating him and taking the flag an easy feat." Yaomomo says, an attack aimed at Kirishima, his body hardened. Uraraka is behind Kirishima, a boulder in her hands still trying to fight against Tsuyu. Still, she knows Kirishima cannot handle both Todoroki and Yaomomo with their amazing quirks.

After all, they got in to U.A. through recommendations alone.

Kirishima knows the opposing team still thinks Bakugo has the flag, which is why Monoma is keeping him occupied – how he doesn't know. If they regroup now, there is still a chance to turn the tides. "BAKUGO! HURRY UP AND FINISH MONOMA AND GET BACK HERE!" Kirishima yells, catching everyone's attention. Bakugo smirks – the shitty hair had confidence that Bakugo would not lose.

Yes, Bakugo would not lose…. Especially not… "You're just a copycat, Pretty boy!" Bakugo growls, focused purely on attacks only using his left hand. "Let me remind you the lesson I taught you last week!" Monoma yelps, flinching as an explosion destroys the ice wall he built. Even though Todoroki's quirk is amazing, Monoma does not have the skill nor the expertise to wield it effectively against combat. A quirk as powerful as this requires immense training and restrain…. As it hurts even its own user. Monoma flinches when his fingertips turn numb and sore, barely having any feeling left.

Bakugo can tell Monoma cannot effectively control the quirk he has borrowed, his fingertips are frozen and his hands are shaking. Bakugo smirks despite the pain in his useless right arm. "Monoma, you know I underestimated you." It catches Monoma's by surprise, his eyes widening beneath his wet blonde hair. "You know my name…" Monoma whispers, for once without the sarcastic or self-depreciating tone. Bakugo barges, an explosion boosting off his hands – even the broken right hand, as he propels himself upward and towards Monoma surprising even himself.

"Since when could you _fly_?!" Monoma yells, smirking with despair as the explosion hits his face and before he can even use his quirk – he realizes he his five minutes is up.

 _Bakugo knew my time was up without me even noticing and made an attack at that exact moment!_

"You're actually a _worthy_ copycat!" Bakugo yells, smirking as the dust enters into Monoma's lungs and they both cough – a flurry of explosions and Monoma is unconscious. Bakugo grabs his wristband and the siren comes to life, "Monoma is out! We're at a tie of numbers between both teams! Who can win and defend their territory?!" Bakugo doesn't wait for an answer from his fellow classmates watching; he lets out another explosion again on both his hands, feeling the strain, pain and broken bones beneath them.

He propels himself towards the sky, coming right in between the shocked faces of Todoroki and Uraraka. "DIE!" Bakugo growls, just as Todoroki was about to freeze Uraraka towards a wall. The impact breaks off all the incoming ice shards; leaving both of them shocked and fazed. "Bakugo-kun!" Uraraka shouts, surprised at his heroic save. "You better not fail all of us, Round Face!" Bakugo yells, eyes narrowing against Todoroki's own mismatched pupils.

"Todoroki-san!" Yaomomo yells, her shoulder shining, glittering as something bulges out of her flesh and skin. "Tch. Our plan failed…" Todoroki warns. Tsuyu stands in front of Yaomomo, nudging Todoroki to look ahead- "Even if Bakugo is here it won't change the tide." Tsuyu says, a long tongue wrapping around Ochako's wrist. "All we have to do is take out the member with the flag.." Todoroki says, shards of ice sent towards the three members of the opposing team. Bakugo stands in front of Ochako, trying to shield her from the incoming ice shards-

"….And Bakugo is immediately eliminated!" Yaomomo shouts from the floor, something dark and black next to her. Kirishima turns to see Yaomomo in shredded clothes of her sports attire and his face reddens. Bakugo growls as he eyes the _cannon_ she's holding. It takes her a whole second before it hits towards where Bakugo was standing but he effectively blows the bullet out of its shell upon contact of his hand.

Gunpowder vs Explosion – Bakugo growls in annoyance. The Ponytailed girl was smart, figuring out that something as large scale as this would be on equal standing against him. Not to mention, they figured out Uraraka was the one holding the flag instead of him. All of a sudden, Bakugo who was always number one, who was born a prodigy, above everyone else – felt the rage and fear of _losing_.

 _He was going to lose._

 _He underestimated the classmates he was fighting._

 _He was too full of himself and now…_

"Kirishima, out!" Kirishima's wristband falls to the ground a cannon falls to the ground he was standing and in an attempt to protect Uraraka, Todoroki's attacks cuts right through him and seizes the chance to take the wristband from him.

 _He is going to lose._

"Ohhh, two against three? Who is going to win?!" Yaomomo pants, already at her limit as she kneels on the ground. She may be out of juice, but they still outnumber Bakugo; especially with the ice-guy. Was Bakugo really going to lose, right here and now when he promised himself he would be number one?

" _I'm going to become number one!"_

The swear he made to find…

" _Kacchan! You're so cool!"_

 _ **Deku**_.

"Bakugo! Are you okay?" Uraraka asks, a warm hand against cold skin of Bakugo's arm. He flinches, pulling himself back to reality. "You're injured right? But can you still use that flying technique in this state?" She asks, sweat around her forehead as they push against the ice wall of Todoroki's. It's a matter of time before his ice grows thicker and stronger and then envelops the whole are they are standing.

"What are you talking about?!" Bakugo yells. "Trust me, it's our only choice." Uraraka yells, eyes suddenly filled with determination and silent rage. Somehow, those eyes reminded him of a boy who was born weak and quirkless but still stood up to him no matter the difference between them. Bakugo does not know what comes over him, he really shouldn't have agreed – but he does and smirk. "One last chance to prove yourself, round face." He yells, the ice shattering upon contact of Bakugo's hand as it explodes and Uraraka touches Bakugo's arm – a second later, he propels himself upward with the use of his quirk.

He's already reached way past his limit with his injury and he knows it's impossible to fight all three of them now – but that doesn't mean he has to…

"Above you, Todoroki-kun!" Yaomomo's voice rings when Bakugo appears directly above him in the air; Todoroki sends a blow of ice above him but then Bakugo turns slightly and his arm is raised in an awkward angle that is aimed at…

"Game over!" Bakugo yells with a smirk as the explosion hits Yaomomo, the explosion setting off while she is weakened and off guard on the ground. "Yaoyarozu, out!" Her unconscious body hits the ground and Bakugo smirks.

" _Todoroki-kun's the strongest but he doesn't particularly seem to be protecting anyone. It must mean that the flag is with someone else… and it should be Yaoyarozu. She's the smartest and the brains of the team."_

Uraraka's voice rings in his head and Bakugo smirks, waiting for the siren and Midnight's voice again to yell the end of the game but it never comes. The next second, Bakugo turns around in a flurry of pain in his right hand and regret when he realizes…

Tsuyu wraps a tongue around Ochako's body and Todoroki freezes her body without hesitation. Tsuyu takes the yellow wristband away from Ochako and the sirens blare to life. "Uraraka is OUT! Team C is eliminated and Team D is the winner!" Midnight yells, the whole class screaming in excitement. "Bakugo lost, no way!" Sero yells, tape shooting from his arms. "Todoroki's quirk is way stronger! Bakugo can't beat him!" Mina replies with a smirk.

Bakugo stands there, frozen in the middle of Ground Beta – unable to comprehend what just happened.

 _He lost._

All his life he thought he was number one and barely a month in U.A. and he was taught a strict lesson by reality.

 _No one is ever truly unbeatable._

"Bakugo-kun… I-I'm sorry." Uraraka says, her thumbs twiddling against each other nervously. She knows Bakugo Katsuki is going to outright _murder_ her for her mistake of guessing wrongly. "Aren't you surprised, Bakugo? I was actually the one holding the flag!" Tsuyu says, Ochako nearly choking from shock. Bakugo growls and has half a mind to shove his foot down her throat. "Since we figured most of you would think Todoroki or Momo would be the one to hold the flag, I decided to make things safer!" Uraraka flinches when Bakugo looks at her with rage in his eyes.

"ROUND FACE!" He shouts. Uraraka flinches and is cornered into a wall. "I'M SORRY!" Uraraka whispers in fear. Bakugo's face lean closer to hers and they can feel each other's breaths. Uraraka flinches when a visible vein pops up in Bakugo's forehead. "YOU BETTER NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE AGAIN OR ILL KILL YOU!" Bakugo yells, turning the other direction as he shoves his hands down the pockets of his trousers.

Uraraka flinches and blinks before she stumbles to the ground like a sack of potatoes. "Ochako-chan?" Tsuyu asks.

"I THOUGHT I ALMOST DIED!"

* * *

I know most of you are impatient at the pace but I swear this is to fill up the missing pages of Bakugo's life and how his classmates view him without Izuku present! It's important to build Bakugo's friendships with various characters and see how they will turn out in next week's special DOUBLE chapter….. _Attack at USJ!_ Spoiler alert there's going to be a lot of yelling by our favorite boom boom boi. Make sure you leave a comment!

ps. can you guess who is the traitor?


	5. Attack at USJ

**Chapter 4**

"Going to the Faculty office, Uraraka-chan?" Kaminari asks with a smile. Uraraka peeks out from a stack of notebooks too high for her to even see properly. "Ah, Kaminari-kun!" She says. Kaminari takes half of the books in her arms to his own and walks beside her. "Thanks for the help, Kaminari-kun!" Uraraka says with a smile. "It's always a pleasure to help a damsel in distress!" Kaminari replies and Uraraka raised an eyebrow. "You were quite the damsel when you were disqualified by both Tsuyu-chan and Yaomomo-chan." Uraraka jabs as Kaminari sinks to the floor in embarrassment.

"Uraraka-chan.. you're quite strong yourself aren't you, huh? You lasted till the last minute against them!" Kaminari says as they walked to the office. "Huh… I don't think so. I still have a long way to go! Everyone is still so strong and experienced…" Uraraka rubs her chin. "Even Bakugo had to protect me and I felt like a burden. I tried to be useful, but it ended up getting us disqualified." Uraraka sighs, thinking back to the moment. Kaminari shrieks as he blinks. "Bakugo sure is scary, huh? I almost died when he called me a useless trash who got eliminated first." Uraraka laughs in response, but it halts when they hear voices as the sliding door slides open.

"Ah the media is so annoying! Can't we just blow them to bits, Eraser?!" Present Mic yells, yellow spiky hair moving. Eraser sighs and crawls back into his yellow sleeping bag. "Let the PR representative handle it. Our jobs are to make sure the students are safe." Eraser replies sleepily. Present Mic grumbles something under his breath and clicks his tongue.

"Wait, is the media still outside?" Kaminari asks as he sets the stack of books down on the desk. Eraser and Present Mic look up from their desks, eyeing the two 1-A students. "It's been weeks and there still there! Why can't they give up!" Mic sighs. "Ever since word got out that All Might was teaching here they haven't stopped hanging in front of the school gates huh?" Uraraka asks, setting down the books in her hand on Eraser's desk.

"I heard from the seniors that unverified personnel can't enter the school due to its top-notch alarm systems. Is that true?" Kaminari asks, a curious facial expression as he sets a finger on his chin. "Ah, it is. The system goes into lockdown mode when trespassers enter the school. There are sensors everywhere." Present Mic replies calmly with a smirk. Aizawa raises an eyebrow. "Kaminari, isn't this common knowledge for every student at U.A?" Aizawa asks while Kaminari shrugs apologetically.

"Sensei, everyone knows that the school goes into lockdown mode, but I was curious if that means we can't get out of the school either?" Kaminari asks. Uraraka turns her head, blinking. "Ah, now that you mention it might be possible we'll get trapped inside the school until the alarm goes off." Uraraka replies. "Well, has that happened before, Eraser?" Present Mic asks. The two exchange glances and Aizawa speaks. "When the alarm rings-" A loud blaring arms send everyone on their toes and looks around the room.

Uraraka and Kaminari raise an eyebrow. "That alarm?" Kaminari asks.

" _Security Level 3 Breach. Students please proceed to the Main Hall immediately. I repeat, Security Level 3 Breac-"_

Aizawa and Present Mic sprint for the entrance, both Pro-heroes already on high alert. "You two, get back to class and gather in the Main Hall immediately!" Their teachers' words echo before the Faculty office is left with the two alone with the alarm blaring. "Ah." Uraraka says. "Ah." Kaminari replies. "THERE'S A SECURITY BREACH?!" Kaminari shouts. Uraraka sweats and glances around. "Let's hurry to the classroom, Kaminari-kun." Uraraka says, already at the entrance.

"Uraraka, you go on ahead to class. Find Iida and gather everyone, he's the class president, right?" Kaminari says, going towards the other end of the hallway. "What, wait – Kaminari-kun?" Uraraka asks, confused. "It's lunch rush time remember? Kirishima and the others are at the cafeteria! I need to make sure to go get them!" Kaminari shouts. Uraraka nods immediately and waves her hand in the air. "Be careful, Kaminari-kun! I'll see you at the hall!" Uraraka shouts before disappearing into the hallways.

As the alarm blares into life, a hand touches the handle of the faculty office entrance.

* * *

From what the students of 1-A heard, some of the media destroyed the school gates and the tripped the alarm system. No one was harmed fortunately but the school went into action and doubled the security as a consequence. Still, something did not felt right.

"Alright class, for today's Hero Basic Training class; it somehow ended up with three instructors – me, All Might and another instructor." Aizawa says lazily as the students raise their hands. Bakugo raises an eyebrow… three instructors for one class? That's a special case situation…

"What will we be doing?" Sero asks, a hand in the air. Aizawa takes a card out from the top of the table and shows it to the class. "Disasters, shipwrecks and everything in between. Today's class is all about the purpose of heroes, to rescue those in need." Everyone gapes and exchanges glances excitedly while Kaminari sweats nervously. "Rescue…?" Bakugo clicks his tongue. He wanted desperately for it to be a combat class, not rescuing weak, useless old ladies on the street.

"Looks like it'll be a lot of work this time, huh?" Kaminari whispers to Mina. "Totally seems like it!" Mina replies excitedly. "Idiot, this is the duty of a hero! Exactly what my quirk is made for!" Kirishima shouts, as if this was finally his purpose. "The training will be off-campus so get changed and ready, we'll be meeting in front of the bus stop."

* * *

The bus ride to the off-campus training ground is one filled with the tension of laughter and excitement. School has only started for about a month and all the students have not really gotten a chance to interact with each other. Even so, everyone is excited to finally have some time to talk before the real action starts. Most of the students are gathered in the middle of the bus, Bakugo choosing to seat at the back of the bus as he leaned against the window.

Five years passed by without him even blinking. He was on track to his dream, his goal, his purpose. Soon, Bakugo Katsuki would get his provisional hero license and he can finally, _finally_ track down Deku. With the license obtained, he will be allowed to use his quirk in emergency situations which would most likely arise if he would be serious in undergoing his own investigations on… _Villain Deku._

Bakugo has thought about the many reasons and possibilities that might have led up to the once innocent, weak green haired boy going down a complete opposite of a path he expected. The childhood friend who stood up against him to protect others…

" _H-heroes shouldn't bully those without power, Kacchan!" Deku yelled, tears streaming down his face as he held his small and frail fists in the air._

…Who always helped others first without thinking…

" _Are you okay, Kacchan?" Deku says as he extends a hand to Bakugo who tripped in the river._

….Who was every being deserving of a hero…

" _Midoriya may be quirkless but he is more of a hero than you ever will be!" The red-haired boy shouts, tears in his eyes._

… _.._ So how could someone who was so passionate for justice and to be a Hero become something so far from that?

" _Why don't you just wish to be born with a quirk in your next life, Deku? Better yet, you could just jump off that bridge and make things quicker." Deku froze at his spot, lifeless eyes stared at the sky so dark and cold. Bakugo got up and turned his head, hands stuffed into his pockets and never looked back._

… **maybe Bakugo had a hand in what Deku became after all.**

* * *

The class arrives at the location with Pro-hero Thirteen to greet them. The class goes wild with excitement the moment they realize who was their third instructor for the day.

"Thirteen, where's All Might? He was supposed to meet us here." Aizawa asks, walking up to the pro-hero. The class raises an eyebrow and Kaminari narrows his eyes at the two pro-heroes. Thirteen whispers something into Aizawa's ear and the two sigh and straighten their backs. "Well.. we took precautions just in case." Aizawa whispers back and looks towards the students gathered in front of the entrance.

"It can't be helped, let's begin." Aizawa says and Thirteen gathers in front of them. "Hm, before we start the class I'd like to say one thing.. or two, or three, four, five…" Bakugo furrows his eyebrows and the class shakes their head. "Everyone, I am sure you're aware of my quirk – Black Hole. I can suck up anything and everything and turn it into dust. However, it is a power that can kill easily." Bakugo looks up to see the hero, flinching at the words.

A quirk that can kill easily… like his own.

" _No matter how many times you try?! Does that mean you've been seriously trying to kill him all this time?!" The red-haired boy yelled._

Bakugo thinks back to the words of the boy in his class. He was right, he could have killed Deku any of those times that they fought.

"In a superhuman society, personal quirks have been certified and regulated stringently, so that doesn't seem to be a problem at first glance. However, please do not forget that there are many quirks that could easily kill with one wrong step." Bakugo swallows a lump in his throat. "With Aizawa's personal fitness test, you were able to figure out the possibilities of your quirks. With All Might's combat training test, you experienced how dangerous it is to use your powers against others. With Midnight's teamwork combat class, you learned how to hone your own quirks and how it is compatible to others". Uraraka nodded, looking at Iida and Kirishima.

"This class is a fresh start. You shall learn how to use your quirks to save others. You do not have powers, so you can hurt others, rather I hope by the end of the class you have the understanding that your quirk exists to help those in need." Thirteen says with a bow and the class gives a round of applause. "That was great!" Uraraka shouts, the others gleaming in excitement and motivation.

"All right. let's start the class-" before Aizawa can finish his sentence, the overhead lights of USJ blink and go off. An air of tension fills the air and Aizawa is the first to react to it with his experience as a pro-hero all these years. Something black appears in the middle of the open space, a wormhole of sorts as a hand crawls out of it. Bakugo flinches at the sight, surely this wasn't part of the training… right?

"Gather together immediately! Thirteen, protect the students!" Aizawa shouts, stepping in front of the class in a defensive stance. "W-what's that?" Kirishima asks, raising an eyebrow at the sight of the wormhole. Someone crawls out of the dark, a figure with white hair and baggy clothes, a… palm covering his face. Then others follow, around thirty people follow behind him – all armed and looked menacing; every part of a villain. "Is it like the entrance exam where the training has already started?" Kirishima asked, trying to see further into the distance. "Don't move!" Aizawa yells back, a strict tone in his voice. Before the other students can react, the yellow goggles slip on his face and Bakugo knows from that one gesture – this was not a drill.

"Those are villains." The words are loud and clear. The class goes into shock, flinching in fear and nervousness. The hairs on Bakugo's arm go up but he maintains a neutral face. Villains attacked the training grounds, off-campus of U.A. – where they were most vulnerable and secluded from everyone.

But why… why them? Why now?

Before Bakugo could figure out a reason, a large enormous figure appears behind the white-haired man; somewhat a mixture of a bird and a man – a chimera. Then, his world stops when he spots green hair on a freckled face he would recognize anywhere.

"Deku." The whisper is so low and filled with fear that even he himself could not recognize. There in front of the multiple villains scattered; a boy his age with the same face from five years ago, as if he did not age in the past five years. Though even if he looked the same, Bakugo knew he was no longer the same innocent childhood friend he once knew.

Those innocent, justice filled eyes of him were now red and glowing filled with only hatred and a desire for destruction.

 _ **The eyes of a villain**_ _._

* * *

DOUBLE CHAPTER THIS WEEK!


	6. Deku VS Kacchan pt1

**Chapter 5**

"Where is All Might?" Tomura asks, white hair a contrast against his own black clothes. Kurogiri appears next to him along with a lifeless, puppet Nomu. Izuku steps beside Tomura, dressed in black turtleneck and black slacks. "Our intel said All Might would be here with Thirteen. Looks like there was a… _misinterpretation_." Izuku replies, raising an eyebrow. "Tch, if the child can't even manage to be a mole-" Tomura speaks halfway when he realizes Izuku's eyes straining to a boy in the middle of the class.

"Oh… Is that…" Tomura smirks. Bakugo's eyes widened as he eyes the green haired boy he once knew. His face did not change except for the jagged scar near his forehead and his body seemed to be buffed, larger and… trailed with scars. "Thirteen!" Aizawa shouts, getting ready in a combat stance. The Pro-hero is ready to rush face-first into a fight, but a trail of smoke explodes in the air and Bakugo is already within inches of the Villains. "No, wait!" Aizawa shouts, fear in his voice when he reaches out desperately with his binding cloth to catch Bakugo but the boy is already in the air, eyes filled with dangerous rage.

"DEKU!" The voice startles everyone, even the villains. His fist is in the air, a mixture of dust and soot as he swings in towards the green haired boy – the only person unfazed by the sudden attack and Bakugo swings his fist, letting the explosion collide with Izuku's…. bare fist?

"God is quite unfair for you to get stronger every time we meet, _Kacchan_." Izuku says, a chill in his voice as his bare hands catch Bakugo's exploding fist with ease. Bakugo's eyes widened, shock at how he managed to catch his full-blown attack and how the only possible explanation was…

 _Deku had a quirk_.

It doesn't take long for Bakugo to notice the black smoke emitting from Deku's palms. Bakugo immediately distances himself from the league, careful to not get caught in their trap when he realizes… this is the real deal. No matter how much Bakugo wanted to believe Deku was still the same person, that maybe he really had nothing to do with this name of Villain Deku, that maybe… it was all just a game – Bakugo knew it was just wishful thinking. Especially not when the boy standing in front of him, had a _quirk_ which easily went against his own.

"Bakugo!" Kirishima yells, rushing to his side. The rest of the class is already on their toes, struggling to form into a defensive circle with Aizawa and Thirteen already trying to defeat the minor villains. There was no time, not enough of them to even think of how they could safely defend the students without having them engage in combat. As fifteen-year-old kids they should not have been allowed to fight, but with their lives on the line – they will have to fight if they want to live. "Gather around everyone! Stay calm and get into positions. I hereby give everyone permission to use their quirks!" Aizawa shouts from a distance while taking down three villains simultaneously.

The class shivers and trembles, still unsure and scared at how they were facing off against real villains when they had only been enrolled in U.A for a month. Bakugo scowled deeply and felt the tenseness in the muscles of his fists. He had to think, had to focus – not just Deku… but whoever the villains he was with meant that they were here to execute a plan.

"What the hell…." Sero whispers, trying to defend himself as he eyes the approaching villains. "What do we do?" Mina asks, sweat running down her pink hair. "Everyone, stay calm. We have to find a way out of this situation." Yaomomo replies, calm despite the shaking of her legs.

"All Might isn't here… do we still execute our plan?" Kurogiri asks. "The Symbol of Hope will come for these children. What use is the symbol of heroes if he cannot protect the children at the establishment he is teaching?" Deku replies, a gloved hand in his chin. "The goal is to defeat All Might; these kids are bait. Oh, he will come to make an entrance…." Tomura looks up at the boy, a smirk slowly appearing on his face. "Just make sure the _screams_ of this kids are loud enough to echo for him to hear." Izuku says, a smirk on his pale face.

The words send a chill down Bakugo's spine. Deku was serious, he was seriously considering… _violence_. Bakugo could not believe the same boy who stood up for the weak, against him who was a genius, was going to… _kill_. Something snapped in Bakugo when he heard those words, suddenly the memories of the chilly night he last met Deku five years ago comes back to him. It feels like his stuck in time, as if his mind is replaying the words he said to Deku about how he should have jumped off that bridge. Bakugo was angry, furious – so furious he could not think straight. So furious at Deku but mostly, himself; for allowing Deku to turn into this monster.

"DEKU!" The yell is sharp and clear as the explosion hits Deku's face; catching him off guard. Kurogiri warps and sends everyone into different directions, mostly trying to scatter everyone – friend or foe. However, Deku and Bakugo still remain on the same terrain, as they both have a long score to settle. Deku stands from the ground, his left cheek bruised but he smirks. "Five years we haven't met and you're still the same bully, huh; Kacchan? Does it bring back memories of how you hit me when I was quirkless?" Deku asks.

The two are secluded on the far side of the terrain, the ideal location for a fight that was guaranteed to get nasty. Bakugo was glad that none of his classmates was around to see him, he did not need distractions if he was going to go full-force. "Don't shit me, Deku. As if you were that weak and fragile. Don't use what I did as an _excuse_ for what you're doing now." Bakugo's words hit like glass. Deku's eyes widened before he laughs, a chilling giggle echoed from his throat. "Kacchan… you're so smart. As expected of you… you are my best friend after all, even though you never wanted to admit it." Bakugo growls, explosions ringing in his palms.

Words will not get through him. Deku is no longer the same boy who could understand him. If Bakugo was going to do things his way, he was going to _hit_ some sense into him until he was satisfied. "DEKU!" Bakugo hits first, the explosion amplifying in power and sending a large shockwave heading straight for Deku – but as before, Deku is predicting his movements and catches his fist with ease. Bakugo goes in for a kick, letting the sole of his boots hit Deku's ribcage. Deku coughs but Bakugo feels a weird sense in his palms.

 _His quirk is weakening._

The blasts from before should have been harder, larger but now… it's reduced by a good twenty percent. The difference is not too obvious but still, Bakugo who has trained and honed his quirk since the age of four is one who knows his own quirk like the extension of his body. "That quirk of yours… how did you get it?" Bakugo growls. Deku smirks, red orbs reflecting Bakugo's rage-filled face. "Surprised? You're the one who told me to jump off the bridge and wished to be reborn with a quirk in my next life after all." Bakugo flinches, hearing the words deep in his heart for the first time. He knows it's part of his fault, he is to blame – Bakugo was a bully and he had a hand in whatever Deku has become.

"Did you want a quirk so badly that you had to become a Villain to have one?!" Bakugo yells, furious. A fist towards the face, Deku catches his fist expertly, then a right hook and Deku's eyes follow his every move, predicting his movements with ease. Deku had been watching Bakugo fight all these years and if anyone knew the blonde boy's fighting patterns, it would be none other than the quirkless boy who took on the brunt of his power. "That's right, I wanted power. Power that I was cruelly denied by god." Deku says. Bakugo goes in for another left hook, hitting Deku's chin. "Was that what you meant that day? About borrowing my power?!" Bakugo yells, an explosion emitting from his palms – it's not as strong as usual and he knows it, so he does the next best move.

Deku reads his movements and moves to catch his fist with the black smoke emitting from his own gloved hands but then a kick from beneath sends him swinging towards the ground. "You have a bad habit of overanalyzing things, Deku." Bakugo growls, knowing that he used a feint to attack Deku. Bakugo grabs Deku's arm with an iron grip and sends him towards the ground, restraining his movements.

"Tell me the truth! Stop lying to me, you shitty nerd!" Bakugo growls, eyes filled with rage. "You want power?! You wanted a quirk so badly you're willing to turn into a villain?" Deku stares at Bakugo's red orbs with a scowl. "What happened to that boy who admired All Might like a hopeless fanboy?! What happened to the boy who wanted justice as to stand up to me even if he is quirkless?!" The words sting Deku as he realizes the weight of those words. There was once a time when Deku had only wanted to be All Might, who desperately wanted to be a hero. Oh how long did that felt like…. How far did that dream go?

" **The quirkless Deku I knew was so much cooler than the Villain Deku I see in front of me."** Bakugo shouts with a ferocity he never thought he could muster. It shocks Izuku, the hear the words spoken. Izuku has lost touch with the emotions he felt when he abandoned them to be a villain a long, long time ago. He remembers there was once peaceful days of him in a park, on adventures, playing games… with Kacchan and all he wanted was to be a hero. How simple were those days…

… _. Days he cannot go back to anymore._

"Don't talk as if what you did to me was justice, Kacchan." The words flinch Bakugo from his moment, realizing that Deku's eyes were no longer the usual black but now a vicious and tormenting red. Before he can react any further, a hand comes loose from his grip and tightens around Bakugo's neck. Bakugo's back hits the ground, Deku's body towering over him as the gloved hand grips Bakugo's neck. Bakugo lets out a strained cry as he feels the pain in his throat and the weakening of his body. "Don't talk as if you are so high and mighty, Kacchan. It pisses me off." Bakugo kicks and turns, struggling to get away from the grip which cut off his oxygen supply. His eyes water and he can only seem to stare into rage filled, angry red eyes belonging to an innocent face he once thought he knew.

"It pisses me off. You were such a nasty person with a superiority complex and yet… everyone around you loved you. You were blessed with a powerful quirk, born talented and smart, great looks and great memory… yet… yet… you were only a disgusting person who bullied those without power." Deku yells. "You were given a quirk and yet you abused the power given to you to hurt others without it, like me!" Bakugo's eyes closed as he feels only pain and his vision whitens. "With the quirk you were given you should have been a wonderful hero, Kacchan – but you decided to use it to be a _villain_ instead."

 _No, that's not true. I'm not a villain, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not –_

" **You call me a villain, but you're the one who made me one, Kacchan."** The whisper is so agonizing that Bakugo's kicks stop, he allows the pain to overwhelm him. He allows the lack of oxygen to hit his body, to feel his heart thumping in his chest so loud, feel the blankness of his mind, the numbness in his palms. Bakugo Katsuki entered U.A. thinking that he would become Pro-hero, he would change things, he could redeem himself for what he has done. Now, he knows very well no amount of redemption can ever make up for what he's done now. Slowly, he allows his hands to drop to the ground and for a moment thinks that maybe he should embrace death.

 _A death he deserves for all that he has done._

As his eyes close shut and his body stops trembling, his mind is left with blank with only Deku's painful clutching of his throat. Bakugo thinks back to an innocent time when they were five-year-old kids, best friends with an admiration for heroes that could rival any other five-year-old. There was a time when they were two peas in a pod, friends together for dreams that they could achieve. Bakugo for once wishes that maybe his quirk never manifested; that why he might have been able to stay as friends with Deku forever and nothing like this would happen. A tear slips down Bakugo's right eye and Deku's hands freeze, his fingers slipping from the iron grip he had on his childhood friend.

Bakugo slips down to the floor, coughing and gasping profusely for air. Before the two can even react, a strong gust of wind flows in between the two and when Deku blinks, he sees a head of blonde hair in front of his face. The next blink, there is a fist meeting his stomach, the impact so strong and fast that it sends Deku flying towards the end of the terrain, coughing. There is no chance for him to even use his quirk, the attack so fast and precise that it could have come from….

"All Might!" The shout of joy and hope is clear, ringing in everyone's ears – heroes or villains. Bakugo blinks, eyes blurry with exhaustion and desperation. He doesn't register that there is someone in front of him immediately, toned and strong and the forever symbol of hope. Bakugo blinks and lets the tear stream down from his right eye as he stares at the figure, a back he had watched since a young child, only hoping to be like him.

"All might…." The whisper is as if a cry for help, a vulnerability; something that Bakugo doesn't show. The fifteen-year-old boy has borne the weight of facing his childhood friend as an enemy and somewhere along the line, he has a part in why Deku is who he is today. Bakugo remembers that he is only human when he is relieved at the idol he has looked up to has came to save the day.

" _Heroes always save the day!"_

The words appear in both Bakugo and Deku's mind – one filled with hope and relief; while the latter is only reminded of how cruel the world is for his mother was not saved the day he needed it the most.

"Do not fear, for I am here!" The catchphrase is loud and reassuring to all those present. Even Uraraka tears up in her battered and bruised state. The kids of 1-A let out sighs of relief except for one, hidden in the back as he shakes in fear of what consequences his actions have caused now that the main character has arrived.

"Young Bakugo, are you all right?" All Might asks and Bakugo immediately stands from the ground, legs still shaking. He may have allowed his weakness to show for a short moment, but it does not mean he is allowed that luxury even further. Bakugo has to settle this one for all. "All Might, don't butt in our fight." Bakugo says in a low growl. All Might smiles brightly despite the worry in his mind of how long he can maintain the state he is in. "Young Bakugo, I admire your boldness and courage but you are merely a student who should not risk his life in a battle when you are inexperienced." Bakugo is ready for a shouting match with his idol when all of a sudden, a blast of black swirls and tendrils erupts from Deku's fists and with a blink of an eye, he appears behind All Might, aiming for his heart.

Bakugo draws out an arm to block the attack All Might did not even manage to see. Bakugo feels a bone break in his right fist, taking the force of Deku's attack. All Might reacts next, a strong and experienced punch lands on Deku's already injured stomach. The hits are continuous but Deku does not seem to be pained. He only blocks and lets a smirk creep up to his face, red eyes glowing as he eyes All Might.

"Bakugo!" Kirishima shouts, rushing to his side along with Todoroki and Uraraka. "Bakugo-kun!" Bakugo growls in low annoyance when he realizes more people have arrived to hinder his fight. "Your arm…" Kirishima whispers, concerned when Bakugo flinches in pain on the ground on one knee. "Get young Bakugo out of here! I will deal with this villain." All Might orders and Kirishima and the others exchange worried glances. "L-let's leave this to All Might, he can take care of the villains." Uraraka whispers, taking Bakugo's good arm over her own shoulder. "No!" Bakugo growls, getting up abruptly despite the pain in his arm. "Bakugo! All Might won't lose, we're just a hindrance to him if we stay!" Kirishima's words are true but Bakugo cannot stand down.

He knows they are inexperienced and scared, not being able to hold their own against villains. Still, something does not feel right. Bakugo knows something does not feel right. "Are you so confident that you can win against the League of Villains, All Might?" Deku asks, red eyes glowing as he scowled; black tendrils emitting smoke from his own hardened fists. "The cost it took you to put All for One behind bars is a price too large for you to pay." All Might flinches at the mention of the villain, his hands silently shaking.

"How do you…." All Might whispers. Bakugo flinches, realizing just how much has been planned for this surprise attack. "You're the kid he was trying to protect… aren't you? I can't believe you managed to train that dangerous quirk without breaking your body….." All Might says. Deku smiles, a warp forming behind him. "Oh, you'll be surprised at what we'll do to you too, All Might." Deku says, the next moments go by in a flash as a sword pierces through All Might's chest, red crimson blood dripping towards the ground.

Bakugo and the others flinch, too shocked to even muster words as they can only stare at the number one hero, the idol they have looked up to, the symbol of hope – falls to the ground like a lifeless body. The world's number one top hero, the epitome of justice, the symbol that deters villains, everyone's hope and dreams – reduced to a _corpse_.

"The world does not need a false symbol of hope." Deku says, red eyes gleaming in the dark with a smirk to match, yet all Bakugo could sense was despair from those eyes that were once justice and innocent. Even with a corpse at his feet, Bakugo wonders why those eyes stare at his own crimson orbs as if it were a cry….

" _You looked like you were asking for help, Kacchan!"_

… **.. for help.**

…..

HOW DO YOU LIKE DEKU YALL GIVE ME COMMENTS?! What do you think is going to happen next chapter?! Who's the traitor? What happened to Deku?!


	7. A lost Symbol of Hope

**Chapter 6**

"Oh, you'll be surprised at what we'll do to you too, All Might." All Might does not realize in his exhausted and weakened state that a warp had formed behind him and then; Nomu's terrifyingly strong arms pierce through All Might's chest with one long swipe.

"The world does not need a false symbol of hope." The words send chills down Bakugo's spine as he eyes the crimson red blood dripping onto the floor. Bakugo cannot tear his eyes from the scene, from the corpse of his idol, the one person he has sworn to become and follow in his shadow. The world freezes and he cannot seem to remember why he was standing there at that exact moment; he only remembers the feeling of emptiness, regret, hate and rage…

Deku's eyes glow red with a smirk on his face.

….. and **guilt**.

"No… Al-All Might…. He… He…" Yaoyarozu whispers with tears in her eyes. Everyone present gasps still freezing in time. Aizawa is on the far center of the rocky terrain, injured and bleeding as he stares in disbelief at the corpse on the floor. "All Might… it's a joke right? T-there's no way he would… lose…" Kirishima whispers to himself, looking at Bakugo with a forced smile. Bakugo doesn't react, he cannot seem to. There is only so much he can think of right now other than the corpse of his idol and the fact that his childhood best friend is the reason for it.

"All Might?" The whisper sounds like a ghostly whimper from Bakugo's throat. There is never a reply from the overly enthusiastic top hero and there's a cry from Mina first. The students stare in shock even Aizawa and Thirteen can't seem to comprehend what to do despite their pro-hero experience…

… **to lose the symbol of hope is not something one can comprehend in the current society of superheroes.**

"Oh, he really has weakened from the fight with Master, Deku." Tomura says, a smirk of satisfaction on his face. "People believe the Symbol of Hope is eternal, immortal and unbeatable. In the end, he is only human." Deku speaks. Kurogiri and Nomu stand beside the two, satisfied with accomplishing their objectives. "False hope will only lead to larger _disappointments_. The world must be taught of the harsh reality of society instead of putting their hopes onto so-called heroes." Now, most of the class are silently in tears, shocked and traumatized at seeing the best heroes crumble and reduced to a corpse. There once bright futures filled with hope becomes distant, realizing that reality is cruel in every way.

"The weak rely on Heroes as if their existence is God itself. They believe that they can take away the pain and sadness they are suffering to save the day no matter what. People must be reminded that Heroes… are not all just." Deku speaks, a gloved hand on All Might's heart, his white gloves stained a deep shade of crimson. "All Might, **Stain** recognized you as a true symbol of hope; unfortunately you have to die as a sacrifice for the good of the world." Deku speaks, something fragile shining in his eyes. Tomura scowls and Kurogiri doesn't dare flinch at the mention of the name.

"Is this supposed to be your revenge for what I did, Deku?" The words stun everyone, not one soul dared to breathe even slightly louder. Bakugo stands from the ground, his face battered and bruised and even with a broken right arm – his face is of silent rage with a bloodlust so strong no pro-hero could imagine. Deku raises an eyebrow, unamused at his childhood friend.

"Is this the pain you want me to feel for what I made you suffer, Deku? To kill the Symbol of Hope we _both_ looked up to? To kill the hero we both swore to one day become?" Bakugo growls, stepping forward, closer to the trio of the league of villains. "Are you satisfied? To end the life of the Hero you looked up to as a child?" Deku's fists clench despite the calm red of his eyes. "Don't fucking joke with me, Deku." Deku stares, heartbeat fast. "Don't you dare think that I believe you're reduced to an immoral worthless Villain who kills for fun?!" The scream breaks whatever the silence both sides of the tide had. Within seconds, Bakugo's fists blare to life and speeds in front of an off-guard Deku, sending a strong explosion and a kick towards his face. The attack sends Deku flying towards the corner of a wall and both sides sprint to continue an unfinished fight.

"Bakugo, No!" Kirishima shouts, trying to catch his friend. "Kirishima, don't be distracted!" Todoroki warns, a fist of ice sent towards an incoming minor villain. "Kirishima-kun, it's too dangerous! We have to think of a plan first." Uraraka shouts, fists raised in the air. The villains who were once powerless in the face of these pro-heroes and pro-heroes to be suddenly felt a motivation surge, realizing that there was no more a symbol of hope. There was no longer a detriment for bad behavior… not when the strongest of the good had already fallen.

"What exactly happened, Deku? You were quirkless when we were kids, but at least I could admit you had guts." Another kick towards Deku's injured stomach. "Now you're just a coward Villain who is exactly the person you thought _I_ would become." Another punch towards the face. Bakugo is too angry to even consider pulling his punches. No, he wants this to hurt as bad as it can. He wants the pain to numb whatever feelings he has left. "You said heroes don't bully the weak. Look at you now, killing the idol you admired! For what?!" The words trigger something in Deku, his fists now surrounded by black tendrils and smoke. The quirk intensifies and it wraps around Bakugo's fists – taking away what strength he had left from the long fight.

"Don't you dare talk back at me like you know what I've gone through these five years, Kacchan _._ " Deku shouts, finally a true emotion showing from his façade. Bakugo cracks his fists and spits blood from his mouth. "You're right I don't. I don't know what happened to you since the last time I saw you. But don't you dare throw yourself a pity party as if you're not the murderer." Bakugo clenches his fists, eyes focused solely on the boy in front of him. "While you were murdering innocent people for some twisted sense of justice; your **mother** was lying on a bed hoping for you to come back in her dreams."

The words send Deku to a halt, his tendrils and quirk immediately deactivating and crumbles to the ground. For once in a long time, Deku was reduced to that quirkless, innocent child he once was before everything took a drastic change. The next second, Bakugo backs away and allows for a cluster of white bandages to envelope itself around Deku's injured body; neutralizing his already deactivated quirk. The binds are skin tight against Deku but he does not fight back, there is no fight left in him. Aizawa captures Deku easily now even in his injured state, eyes red with rage at the murderer in his hands.

"Deku!" Kurogiri shouts but Tomura grabs him back. "Bakugo!" Kirishima shouts and rushes to his side. "Warp us out of here, Kurogiri. Our mission is accomplished. It's game over for the heroes." A smirk stains on Tomura's face as the rest of the heroes arrive. Present Mic's scream echoes throughout the terrain, rendering the minor villains to crumble on their feet. "You're not going anywhere, you villains!" A shout from Vlad King as numerous pro-heroes stand at the entrance, rounding up villains like it was a practice match.

"Oh, the heroes have arrived." Tomura whispers as he enters the black warp alongside Kurogiri and a lifeless Nomu. Eraser's quirk activates and white and white bandages flow in hopes of catching Tomura but they're already inside the warp, slowly closing. "You may have saved the casualty count, but what will you do when the world realizes there is no longer a symbol of peace?" Tomura smirks and the warp closes. The pro-heroes click their tongues and fight off the remaining minor villains in hopes for a victory. Still…

No one knows what their future holds when the Symbol of Hope is reduced to a corpse.

* * *

Sorry for the late update! I've been busy with things and I'm occupied with other writing projects at the moment ;( Now that the symbol of hope is dead… what do you think is in store for our young heroes?


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